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C Allestree, Richard, 1619-
1681.
The practice of Christian
i crraces
r
THE
PRACTICE OF CHMSTIAN GRACES;
OR,
v/''
THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN.
FIRST PUBLISHED,
1G58.
A NEW EDITION, WITH A PREFACE.
BY THE
REV. WILLIAM BENTINCK HAWKINS, M.A., F.R.S.
OF EXETEK COLLEGE, OXFORD.
(1)
THE
rRACTIGE OF CHllISTIAN GRACES;
OR,
®l)c tUljolc Sluiii of Mian,
LAID DOWN
A PLAIN AND FAMILIAR WAY,
THE USE OF ALL.
WITH
PEIYATE DEVOTIONS
FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
PHILADELPHIA:
T. WARDLE, lU CHESTNUT STREET.
1815.
EDITOR'S PREFACE.
Few books have obtained a more general circulation, or
have passed through more editions than The Practice of
Christian Graces, or. The Whole Duty of Man, and perhaps
it may safely be said, few have possessed such well founded
claims on the esteem and approbation of the public. From
the time of its first appearance* in 1658, to the end of the
seventeenth and during the early part of the eighteenth cen-
tury, it retained the popular character which it had originally
acquired. So great, indeed, was the estimation in which it
was held, that not long after its publication it was translated
into the Latin, French, and Welsh languages. t We are
also told, that it was the custom of the learned and excellent
Bishop Bull, one of the greatest ornaments of our church, to
read a chapter out of the Whole Duty of Man in addition to
the performance of family prayers in his house on Sunday
evenings. We cannot do better than give the account of
this circumstance in the words of the Bishop's biographer,
the amiable and pious Robert Nelson, a name equally emi-
nent amongst the lay members of the church ; since they
supply an additional testimony to the merit of the work in
question, from one who was well qualified to appreciate its
real value. " Upon Sunday evenings, there was the addition
of a chapter out of that excellent book. The Whole Duty of
Man, than which we have none more fit for general and con-
stant use ; and this was for the further instruction of his family,
* London, Printed for T. Garthwaite, at the Little North Door of St.
Pauls, 1658.
t The translation published in France in the year 1669 is dedicated to
the Duchess of York. It is anonymous, but the translator appears to
have been a female, and a native of France. She compliments the
Duchess on having "une connoissance achevee de la delicatesse de
notre langue,"and speaking of herself says, " car comme je ne suis ni
de la sexe ni de I'honneur a ecrire pour le public."
1* (v)
VI EDITOR S PREFACE.
particularly of those who had been deprived of going to
church by reason of the necessary services of the house."*
Isaak Walton bears a like testimony of Bishop Sanderson,
and says, that " He, in his retirement, had the church prayers
read in his chamber twice every day ; and at nine at night
some prayers read to him and to a part of his family out of
* The Whole Duty of Man.' "
Another eminent divine of our church, the celebrated Dean
Stanhope, esteemed this work so highly, that he recommend-
ed it as a model for style in the composition of sermons, in
a letter addressed by him to a young relation who had en-
tered into holy orders. " As to other books which may fit
you for the discharge of your duty, Mr. Hooker, Bishops
Sanderson, Pearson, and Stillingfleet, Dr. Jackson, and
Archbishop Tillotson, cannot be read too often. Happy is
the man who can form his style upon the last of these ; and,
in plain practical preaching, upon the rational, instructive,
and familiar way of the Whole Duty of Man."t
If during a later period new editions of this work have
appeared at longer intervals of time, it is the taste of the
public, and not the credit of the book itself, which must be
called in question. It is a singular circumstance, and one
which we believe has seldom attended any other literary
production, that up to the present time, when nearly two
centuries have elapsed since the publication of " The Whole
Duty of Man," the real authorship of that work has never
yet been settled on strong or decisive grounds, and the name
of the writer of a book more generally read, and more ex-
tensively admired than most others, has remained unknown
to the present day. Whatever may be the cause assigned.
* Nelson's Life of Bishop Bull, p. 102, Oxford, 1840.
t Nichols's Anecdotes, vol. iv. p. 168. A writer in the Edinburgh
Review (vol. xliv. p. 5,) remarks, speaking of the style of The Whole
Duty of Man, and that of the other works by the same author, " After
the lapse of a hundred and seventy years, they contain scarcely a word
or a phrase which has become superannuated."
EDITOR S PREFACE.
whether it is to be imputed to a natural modesty on the part
of the author, an unwillingness to be brought too prominently
before the notice of the public, or whether we may ascribe
it to a desire on his part to ascertain the possible reception
which a Avork, not bearing on its title-page the name of any
author, and depending on its own merits alone, might expe-
rience from the public ; — it is at least a curious, and we may
say, an extraordinary circumstance, allowing the author dur-
ing his lifetime to have been desirous to preserve his name
a secret, that after his death he should have imposed the
same obligation of secrecy on his survivors ; or supposing
this not to be the case, that no one of his friends or con-
nexions should have been willing to draw aside the veil.
Such a circumstance, perhaps, can only be ascribed to ca-
price, certainly a very harmless kind, or to actual ignorance
arising from the ingenious manner in which the mystery had
been preserved. It was scarcely, however, to be expected,
notwithstanding this studied concealment, that a book so
much read and so much admired should be permitted to pass
without question as to its authorship ; and accordingly we
find that several individuals, more or less eminent, were at
different times brought forward as possessing claims to this
distinction. Among those whose pretensions to the honour
were more specious, may be named Bishop Fell, Dr. Alles-
tree. Bishop Chappel, Archbishop Sterne, and Lady Paking-
ton.* Dr. Henry Hammond has also been mentioned as
* The authorship of this work is also attributed to Dr. Frewen, Arch-
bishop of York (Aubrey's Letters, vol. ii. p. 129), but without the sHght-
est reason, as he died in 1G64, and it is evident the author of the Whole
Duty of Man was living after that period. The following persons also
have been mentioned as possessing some claim, viz. Abraham Wood-
head, Obadiah Walker, and Mr. Fulnian. Anthony Wood says,
"some have attributed ' The Whole Duty of Man' to Mr. Abraham
Woodhead, others to Mr. Obadiah Walker, both of whom became
papists ; but most apparent it is that that book was written by a true
and sincere friend of the Church of England, and one who held that to
be the Catholic Church." In Oldfield's Divine Discourses, p. 74, it is
viu editor's preface.
having some title to the authorship, with but little reason,
however, as in that case he would scarcely have introduced
a work to the public purporting to be written by an un-
known person, in a preface to which he subscribed his own
name. The same reason will also apply to the claim made
for Bishop Fell, who also wrote a preface to the folio edition
of the entire works of the author of the Whole Duty of Man,
published in 1684, from which it is evident that he was not
himself the author.
" Many," he says, " I doubt not, will now expect
an account of the person and condition of the author;
but, besides that it is an ill-mannered thing to pry into
what is studiously concealed, the gratifying this curiosity
would be an injury to the design of these writings, by
robbing them of one efficacious motive of conviction. As
the case now stands, all men must see and allow, that nei-
ther faction, nor interest, nor pride, nor covetousness, nor
other temporal advantage, was sought for by the time and
pains employed in these discourses. If the reader shall
please, instead of useless inquiries, to bring the same devo-
tion and sincerity to the perusal of these discourses, as was
employed in the writing of them ; if he print in his mind,
and transcribe into his practice what he reads, his pains will
be answered by suitable advantage. Let him be wise and
humble, temperate, chaste, patient, charitable, and devout:
live a whole age of great austerities, and maintain an undis-
turbed serenity in the midst of them : and then he wdll him-
self become a lively picture of our Author."
It is singular enough that Bishop Atterbury, who was so
thoroughly versed both in ancient and modern literature, and
said, that Mr. Fulman, a native of Penshurst in Kent, and amanuensis
to Dr. Hammond, was the author. Fulman however was born in 1632,
and the work in question was put into the hands of Dr. Hammond in
1657, and was, as it appears, written some years before. It is also attri-
buted to Dr. Chaplin, of University College, Oxon, by Evelyn, vide
Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 318.
EDITOR S PREFACE. IX
SO well acquainted with the Oxford press, and the works
which issued from it, (Bishop Fell's edition was printed at
Oxford), should have been ignorant of the name of the au-
thor of this excellent book. In his sermon on 1 Tim. vi. 1,
speaking of the best Christians being least known, he says,
" And of this there is one, though a very late, yet so remark-
able an instance, that, for the honour of our holy faith, I
think it may deserve to be particularly mentioned — the in-
stance I mean of the author of ' that excellent book. The
Whole Duty of Man,' who took not more care to do good
to the world than he did to conceal the doer of it, being
contented to approve himself to Him, and Him only, who
seeth in secret, and resolved that the praise of men, whe-
ther in his life or after his death, should be no part of his
reward."
With regard to the claim set up for Dr. AUestree, we be-
lieve it rests on little more than the following passage in
Granger's Biographical History of England, in which,
speaking of Bishop Fell, he says, " He and Dr. AUestree
are supposed to have written almost all the books attributed
to the author of The Whole Duty of Man."* Such evi-
dence as this, it will at once be perceived, is of very insuffi-
cient character to establish a claim of authorship.! Bishop
* Vol. iii. p. 252, ed. 1804.
t In the Life of Dean Prideaux, published in 1748, it is said that the
Dean always considered Bishop Fell as the author of The Decay of
Christian Piety, and that his reasons for this supposition were, that his
uncle, Sir William Morrice, whilst in attendance at court a little after
the Restoration, had heard Bishop Fell preach a sermon in the King's
Chapel, which pleased him so much that he desired to have a copy of it.
This was given to him; and on comparing it with the Decay of Chris-
tian Piety, which was pubUshed some years afterwards, he found it in
the very same words in the pages of that publication. It is also stated
that Dr. Prideaux was afterwards confirmed in this opinion, for as he
attended the press in the Theatre at Oxford, whilst another of the books
ascribed to the same author was printing, he often found whole hnes,
and sometimes two or three together, blotted out, and interluieations in
their stead, which he knew to be in Bishop Fell's handwriting, and this
was a Uberty it was unlikely any one but the author would have taken.
X EDITOR S PREFACE.
Chappel* also has been named as the writer of this work.
In the Biographia Britannica it is stated, " The author of
this most excellent book, ' The Whole Duty of Man,' was
Bishop Chappel, who, dying in 1648 at Derby, was buried
at Dilstrop in Notts. The MS. of it was transmitted by Dr.
Sterne, afterwards Archbishop of York, to Dr. Fell, Dean
of Christ Church, who having read it beforehand to his pu-
pils, occasioned several to say that the said Dr. Sterne was
the author ; as also others did, by means of a copy of Bishop
Chappel's MS. being found in Lady Pakington's closet after
her death, that she wrote it." The claim of Bishop Chap-
pel, if it depends only upon the statements contained in the
So that his opinion on the whole was, that the book called the " Whole
Duty of Man" was written by an author still unknown ; but that all the
other books assigned to the same author were written by Bishop Fell and
Dr. Allestree ; and that when the first of them, either by design or mis-
take lof the Bookseller, came forth under the name of the author of
" The Whole Duty of Man," they suffered all the others to come out
under the same disguise, the better to conceal what they intended should
be a secret. And as to what Bishop Fell says in a preface to a folio edi-
tion at Oxford, in which all these books are comprised together, where
he mentions the author as lately dead, it was generally understood to be
meant of Dr. Allestree, who was then lately deceased. Dr. Lort
(whose opinion is cited in Nichols's Anecdotes) observes on this state-
ment, " This is indeed a very singular account from Dr. Prideaux by an
anonymous author."
* Bishop of Cork : Peck, (Disiderata Curiosa,) in a note to the Life
of Chappel, gives the following extract from a letter written by Mr.
Beaupre Bell: " 'Tis certain The Whole Duty of Man was written by
one who suffered by the troubles in Ireland ; and some lines in that
piece give great grounds to conjecture that Bishop Chappel was the au-
thor." " Thus we see," observes Peck, " that prelate, as well as many
other great and good persons, comes in for part of the credit of that ex-
cellent book ; yet there is no explicit evidence of his having been the
author of it. It appears indeed to have been written before the death of
Charles I., although it was not pubUshed till 1657, (this is a mistake,
arising doubtless from confounding the date of the Preface with that of
the book itself, which was not published until 1658), and the manner of
it is agreeable enough to that prelate's plain and easy way of writing ;
but then there can be no reason given, why his name should be sup-
pressed in the title-page, when a posthumous work of his was actually
published with it but a few years before."
EDITOR S PREFACE. XI
foregoing extract, can scarcely be termed very well founded,
since we learn from them that out of the same train of cir-
cumstances which gave origin to the claim of Bishop Chap-
pel, sprung also a similar claim for two other individuals,
Archbishop Sterne and Lady Pakington.* The pretensions
* It is stated in a passage in Aubrey's Letters, vol. ii. p. 125, that a
MS. copy of the Whole Duty of Man, in the handwriting of Lady Pa-
kington, was found amongst her papers after her death ; this, however,
is saying but httle towards estabhshing a claim of authorship, if we recol-
lect that this lady was a very devout person, possessing much acquaint-
ance with the divines of the day, and therefore very hkely to have been
favoured with a sight of the work in question before it was printed, and
also to have been allowed to take a copy of it for her own use whilst in
that state. The following circumstances, however, render it still more
unUkely that this lady was the author. The celebrated Dr. H. Ham-
mond, for several years previous to his death, and during the very time
of the publication of The Whole Duty of Man, was residing in the house
of Lady Pakington ; he lived on terms of the greatest friendship with
her, and acted also as a spiritual adviser ; it is therefore utterly improba-
ble that if she really composed the work in question, she should not have
told him ; and yet it is very evident, from the Preface prefixed to it of
which he was the author, that he was unacquainted with the name of
the person who wrote The Whole Duty of Man.
And if we are reminded that Dr. Hickes, in the Dedication of his
Saxon Grammar to the grandson of this lady, says, " She deserved to he
called and to be esteemed the Authoress of The Whole Duty of Man,"
we reply, that it was perfectly natural for the zealous friends of Lady
Pakington to endeavour to found a claim of authorship on the single cir-
cumstance, however slight and insufficient it might be in itself, of a copy
of the work having been discovered in her handwriting.
The strongest evidence in favour of Lady Pakington is in the follow-
ing note :
Oct. 13, 1698.— Mr. Thomas Caulton, Vicar of Worksop, in Notting-
hamshire, in the presence of Wm. Thornton, Esq. and his lady, Mrs.
Heathcote, Mrs. Ashe, Mrs. Caulton, and John Hewit, Rector of Hart-
hill, declared the words following :
" November 5th, 1689.
"At Shire-Oaks, Mrs. Eyre took me up into her chamber after din-
ner, and told me that her daughter Moyser, of Beverly, was dead.
Among other things concerning the private affairs of the family, she told
me who was the author of the ' Whole Duty of 3'Ian,'' at the same time
pulling out of a private drawer a MS. tied together, and stitched in octavo,
which she declared was the original copy written by Lady Pakington
her mother, who disowned ever having written the other books imputed
Xll EDITOR S PREFACE.
of the last named person are overthrown by the single fact,
that the author is spoken of by Bishop Fell, who was evi-
dently acquainted with him, in the masculine gender. With
regard to Archbishop Sterne, the case to be made out is
somewhat stronger, and although it must be confessed that
the evidence collected in favour of his claim is only circum-
stantial, yet the chain of reasoning is far from incomplete.
From the nature and character of this evidence, we prefer
giving it in the form of an Appendix, rather than inserting it
in the body of the Preface, which we shall conclude with a
character of the Whole Duty of Man drawn by one of the
most distinguished writers of our own time, one who has
not only thoroughly explored the richest mines of the litera-
ture of his own country, but has himself also opened new
veins equally rich and valuable. We must, however, protest
against the assertion contained in the last clause of the ex-
tract, and we hope our readers will join us in the protest,
when they have examined the evidence in favour of the
claim of Archbishop Sterne, which is offered in the following
Appendix. Speaking of this work,* Dr. Southey observes,
" A good old book, which contains the substance of a course
of sermons, addressed in the plainest language to plain peo-
ple, and setting before them those duties which they are
called upon to perform in the ordinary course of life. The
author was a person of sound judgment and sober piety, who
sought to make his parishioners practical Christians and not
professing ones ; and that he was humble minded himself
there is conclusive proof ; for he concealed his name, and no
inquiries have ever yet been able to ascertain it."
to be by the same author, excepting ' The Decay of Christian Piety.''
She added too, that it had been perused in MS. by Dr. Covel, Master
of Trinity College, Cambridge, Dr. Stamford, Prebendary of York,
and Mr. Banks, Rector of the Great Church at Hull.
Mr. Caulton declared this upon his death-bed, two days before his
decease. " W. T.
J. H."
* Life of Cowper, vol. i. p. 117.
APPENDIX TO EDITOR'S PREFACE.
We shall first present our readers with a catalogue of the different
pieces written by the author of the Whole Duty of Man, with the dates
of the first editions.
I. Whole Duty of Man. The first edition is entitled The Practice of
Christian Graces, or the Whole Duty of Man, and printed for T. Garth-
waite, 1658, with frontispiece by Hollar, to which is prefixed a letter by
Dr. H. Hammond, dated March 7, 1657.
II. The Gentleman's Calling, printed for T. Garthwaite, 1660, with
a letter prefixed by Dr. Humphrey Henchman, dated October 27, 1659.
III. The causes of the Decay of Christian Piety, written by the Au-
thor of the Whole Duty of Man, 1667. The MS. was conveyed to
Garthwaite by H. E. in a letter prefixed, dated June 7, 1667. In the
Preface to this work the Author quotes the Syriac and Septuagint ver-
sions of the Old Testament, and also the original Hebrew.
IV. The Ladies' Calhng, printed at Oxford, 1673. The editor of this
work is said to be Dr. John Fell, who prefixed an Address to the Reader,
from which it appears that he was then totally unacquainted with the
author.
V. The Government of the Tongue, printed at Oxford, 1674. Pro-
bably at this time the author was known to Dr. Fell.
VI. The Art of Contentment, printed at Oxford, 1675. ■"
VII. The Lively Oracles given to us, &,c, Oxford, 1678. '^"
A collected edition of the Genuine Works of the Author of the Whole
Duty of Man was printed at Oxford, 1684. It appears from the Preface
to this edition, that the editor, Dr. Fell, was then acquainted with the
author, for he gives a character of him, and speaks of him as being dead.
The following are the circumstances which seem to throw an air of
probability over the claim of authorship alleged for Archbishop Sterne.
Some of these, it will be seen, have already been alluded to :
The Author of the Whole Duty of Man was the author of all the six
subsequent pieces, which were collected together in one volume, folio,
printed at Oxford, 1684.
The advocates for Lady Pakington attribute only two works to her,
the Whole Duty of Man, and the Decay of Christian Piety.
Bishop Fell states, that the Author was then dead, 1684.
Archbishop Sterne died June 28, 1683.
He is spoken of by Bishop Fell in the masculine gender.
Therefore not Lady Pakington.
The Author was acquainted with the learned languages, Greek, He-
brew, Syriac.
So was Archbishop Sterne, who assisted Walton in the publication of
the Polyglot Bible.
2 (xiii)
XIV
Timothy Garthwaite was the pubhsher of the first edition of the Whole
Duty of Man; the Gentleman's Calling; the Causes of the Decay of
Christian Piety ; and was also the pubhsher of Walton's Polyglot. It is
therefore probable that he (Archbishop Sterne) would send his own MS.
to the same publisher.
Mr. Pickering, the publisher of the last London edition, (1842), has in
his possession a copy of the edition of The Whole Duty of Man, Lond.
1659, in which is written in a cotemporary hand as follows : " The Au-
thor of this is Dr. Sterne, Master of Jesus College in, Cambridge^
We are perfectly aware that the foregoing circumstances, considered
separately, can possess but little weight, and even when taken collec-
tively, perhaps cannot avail much towards estabUshing the claim brought
forward in favour of Archbishop Sterne ; but nevertheless, in the ab-
sence of better evidence, with regard to the production of so remarkable
a work, the few and trifling circumstances which we have mentioned
may prove, in some degree, interesting. However, we have not yet
exhausted the evidence on this subject. The following extract from a
number of the Gentleman's Magazine of rather early date, may perhaps
be considered to possess testimony of a stronger character, a supposition,
on our part, which has induced us to place it as the last link in our chain
(we wish it were stronger) of evidence. — The Article is entitled ^^Dis-
covery of the real Author of the Whole Duty of Man. Some time ago
was put into my hands an half sheet of paper, containing (as it is there
expressed in the title), ' A Brief paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer, the
author, Dr. Sterne, now Archbishop of York,' Upon my perusal of it,
I found it to be word for word exactly the same with that which is pub-
Ushed in the Whole Duty of Man. The invocation, petitions, and con-
clusion, distinct, separate, and the title of each inclosed in hooks, thus:
< Our Father which art in Heaven. >
It is so in the best printed editions of that work. The hand an old se-
cretary, which was much used an age or more ago. The spelling the
same likewise, different in many words from the present spelling of
them. The appearance of the paper and writing give assurance of their
long standing, not improbably as long ago as the time, or very near it,
when the Whole Duty of Man was first pubhshed. There were, at
that time, strong reasons why the author of that work desired to conceal
his name. Those reasons have long since ceased. The work would
now do credit to the memory of the author, if known ; nor would the
knowledge of the author give any one prejudice to the work. The time
when Archbishop Sterne lived answers very well to the time when that
work was pubhshed ; he died a very old man, a. d. 1683. And if piety
and zeal for true religion, which strongly characterise the author of that
work, was also the character of Archbishop Sterne, I think we may,
with high probabihty, conclude him to have been the author of that, and
the other works under that name." Gent's. Mag. 1772, p. 611.
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. XV
We subjoin a short account of the Life of Archbishop Sterne, extracted
with some few aherations, from Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy. It
will be seen by it what cruelty and persecution he suffered on account
of his loyalty to his sovereign, and devotion to our holy church, at the
hands of the atrocious and sanguinary partj^ who consummated their
guilt and wickedness by murdering their king, and overthrowing the
Church of their native land.
Richard Sterne, D.D. descended from a family of that name in Suffolk,
was born at Mansfield ui Notts : became scholar of Trinity College in
the University of Cambridge, was afterwards elected Fellow of Bennet
College in the same University, and ultimately Master of Jesus College.
Upon the breaking out of the rebellion he was very active in sending the
University plate to the king, for which act of loyalty he was seized by
Cromwell, together with Dr. Beale, Master of St. John's, and Dr. Martin,
Master of Queen's, and conveyed to London. On their arrival in the me-
tropolis in express defiance of an order issued by the House of Lords for
their immediate imprisonment in the Tower, they were paraded in inso-
lent triumph by Cromwell and his myrmidons through Bartholomew Fair,
and as far as Temple Bar, and from thence back to the Tower, "on
purpose that they might be hooted at, or stoned by, the rabble rout."
Since which time, now above three years together (says an account
hereof then written) they have been hurried up and down, from one
prison to another, at excessive and unreasonable charges and fees exacted
from them, far beyond their abiUties to defray, having all their goods
plundered, and their masterships and livings taken from them, which
should preserve them from famishing. And though in all this time there
was never any accusation brought, much less proved against any of them,
yet have they suffered intolerable imprisonment ever smce, both by land
and water, especially that in the ship, where for ten days together, they
with many other gentlemen of great rank, were kept under deck, with-
out liberty to come to breathe in the common air, except at the courtesy
of the rude sailors, which oftentimes was denied them. In which con-
dition they were more like galley-slaves than freeborn subjects, and men
of such quahty and condition, and had been so indeed, might some have
had their wills, who were bargaining with the merchants to sell them to
Algiers, or as bad a place, as hath been since notoriously known upon no
false or fraudulent information. Besides which, there are some other
circumstances which rendered their usage of Dr. Sterne and his fellow-
sufferers in a peculiar manner barbarous and inhuman. For when they
were first seized, they were used with all possible scorn and contempt ;
Cromwell was more particularly insolent towards them, and when one
of them desired a little time to put up some hnen, told him, that it was
not i7i his commission.
In the villages, as they passed from Cambridge to London, the people
were called by some of their agents to come and abuse and revile them.
They were also led leisurely through the midst of Bartholomew Fair;
XVI APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE .
as they passed along, they were entertained with exclamations, reproaches,
scorns, and curses ; and it was a great providence, considering the pre-
judice which the people had to them, that they found no worse usage.
After their confinement, though they often petitioned to be heard, yet
they could never obtain either a trial or their liberty. They had been a
full year under restraint in other prisons, when they were at length,
August 11, 1643, by order of the parliament, sent on board the ship, the
name of which was the Prosperous Sailor, then lying at Wapping. As
they went to Billingsgate to take water, a fellow was like to have been
committed for saying, that they looked hke honest men. But another
of the true stamp, looking these grave, learned divines in the face, re-
viled them, saying, that they did not look hke Christians ; and prayed,
that they might break their necks as they went down the stairs to take water.
This harsh usage they found by land, but yet they found far worse by
water. Being come on shipboard, they were instantly put under hatches,
where the decks were so low that they could not stand upright, and yet
were denied stools to sit on, or so much as a burthen of straw to lye on.
Into this Little Ease, in a small ship, they crowd no less than eighty pri-
soners of quahty ; and that they might stifle one another, having no more
breath than what they sucked from one another's mouth, most mali-
ciously, and (certainly) to a murtherous intent, they stop up all the small
auger-holes, and all other inlets which might reHeve them whh fresh air.
An act of such horrid barbarism that nor age, nor story, nor rebellion can
parallel ! Whilst Dr. Sterne thus continued in durance, and if I do not
mistake the day, March 13, 1643, he was by a warrant from the Earl of
Manchester ejected from the Mastership, and one Mr. Laing substituted
in his room, whom that Earl coming in person to the College Chapel put
into the master's seat, and with some other formalities gave him the in-
vestiture of this Headship, April 12, 1644 ; of which he was afterwards
himself dispossessed, Nov. 14, 1650, for refusing the engagement. After
this Dr. Sterne was removed from the ship, but still kept under confine-
ment in some other prison ; only when the blessed martyred Archbishop
(whose chaplain he was) suffered on Tower Hill, he was allowed to at-
tend him on the scaffold, and perform the last offices of piety about him.
At length having lost all he had, and suffered to the last degree for his
loyalty, he was permitted to have his liberty. After which he lived ob-
scurely until the Restoration, upon which he became Bishop of Carhsle,
and in 1664 was from thence translated to the see of York, in possession
of which he died in 1683, in the 87th year of his age. He was a man of
eminent worth and abiUties, a person of unshaken loyalty, and had the
honour to assist in the noble undertaking of the Polyglot." Walker's
SuflTerings of the Clergy, Pt. 2, 147.
The following interesting Letter, addressed by Archbishop Sterne to
a former pupil who had relieved his necessities, and giving an account of
his sufferings during his confinement, confirms the relation of Walker,
and presents a striking picture of the insatiate rapacity and unrelenting
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. XVii
cruelty of that execrable party, who, during the rebellion, endeavoured
to gratify their thirst for plunder, and hatred of all that was good, and
righteous, and holy, by violating every law of God and man.
" Good Mr. Sayer,
** Upon Saturday last I received your letter by the same hand to which
you delivered it : in it I read that loving and good affection which I ever
found in you and from you ; and together with it, I received the real ex-
pression of it, whereby I am more ways than one become your debtor.
The seasonableness, and especially the freeness, of the courtesy made it
double and triple to itself, and would have bound me to entertain it,
though I had less occasion than at this time I have, as things are and
have been with me. This is now the fourteenth month of my imprison-
ment ; nineteen weeks in the Tower, thirty weeks in the Lord Peter's
House, ten days in the ships, and seven weeks here in Ely House. The
very dry fees and rents of these several prisons have amounted to above
jEIOO, besides diet and all other charges, which have been various and
excessive, as in prisons is usual. For the better enabling me to maintain
myself in prison, and my family at home, they have seized upon all my
means which they can lay their hands on. At my Living near Cam-
bridge, they have not only taken the whole crop, that is, in a manner the
whole benefit of the Living, (for the rest is very little) but plundered and
sold whatever goods of mine they found there, even to the poultry in the
yard ; allowing me not so much as to pay for his dinner that served the
cure. They have robbed also the child that is yet unborn of the clothes
it should be wrapped in. But upon my wife's address to the committee
at Cambridge, they had so much humanity, as to make the sequestrators
(though with much ado) restore them to her again. They have also for-
bidden our College Tenants (all within their verge) to pay us any rents,
(for the better upholding of learning and the nurseries thereof) If I have
anything else that escapes theii* fingers, it is in such fingers out of which
I cannot get it ; and that also I owe to the same goodness of the times.
So that if my friends' love had not made my credit better than it deserves
to be, and supplied my occasions, I should have kept but an hungry and
cold house both here and at home. And all this while I have never been
so much as spoken withal, or called either to give or receive an account
why I am here. Nor is any thing laid to my charge, (not so much as the
general crime of being a malignant) no, not in the warrant for my com-
mitment. What hath been wanting in human justice, hath, been (I
praise God) supphed by Divine mercy. Health of body, and patience,
and cheerfulness of mind, I have not wanted, no, nor on shipboard ;
where we lay (the first night) without any thing under or over us, but
the bare decks, and the clothes on our backs : and after we had some of
us got beds, were not able (when it rained) to lie dry in them ; and when
it was fair weather, were sweltered with heat, and stifled with our own
breaths ; there being of us in that one small Ipswich coal-ship (so low built
2*
XVm APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE.
too, that we could not walk, nor stand upright in it) within one or two
of threescore ; whereof six Knights and eight Doctors of Divinity, and
divers Gentlemen of very good worth, that would have been sorry to
have seen their servants (nay, their dogs) no better accommodated. Yet
among all that company, I do not remember that I saw one sad or de-
jected countenance all the while, so strong is God, when we are weakest.
But to return to yourself, you see what a good debtor you are hke to
have of me, though of that I gave your friend fair warning when he was
first with me, telling him (and that truly) that I was never in a condition
less deserving to be trusted with money. I have only given him a note
of my hand for the receipt of so much borrowed of you. As you have
limited me no time of payment ; so nehher have I prescribed you a
lime of forbearance, but do acknowledge it due upon demand. If you
please to set any time, or to require any further obligation, (for mor-
tality's sake) I shall, upon notice from you, observe and perform accord-
ingly, I have nothing more to add, but my loving respects to yourself,
and your best wife, (though unknown) your good mother, and all yours
(God bless them !) so praying God to send us a happy meeting, and a
speedy good end to these miserable distractions of our Church and king-
dom ; I shall still subscribe myself (seeing you still acknowledge that
relation).*
" Your loving Tutor, &c,
" Rich. Sterne."
Ely Hoicse, Oct. 2, 1643.
After his release from confinement, Dr. Sterne retired to Stevenage in
Hertfordshire, where he kept a private school for the support of his
family, until the Restoration. Soon after this event, he was nominated
to the Bishopric of Carhsle, Oct. 9, 1660. Bishop Kennet says of him,
" He was promoted to the Bishopric of Carlisle on account of his piety,
and great learning, and prudence, as being indeed not less exemplary in
his notions and conversation, than if he himself had expected martyrdom
from the hour of his attendance upon his patron Archbishop Laud." In
the succeeding year, it appears that he was one of the three Bishops (o
whom the convocation committed the task of revising the Book of Com-
mon Prayer. In the year 1664, on the death of Archbishop Frewen, he
was promoted to the see of York, where he continued until his death,
June 18, 1683, which took place at Bishopsthorp, in the 87th year of his
age. " He left behind him," says Le Neve, " the character of a man
of eminent worth and abilities ; a person of unshaken loyalty ; his be-
haviour worthy of his high station ; he distinguished himself by his accu-
rate book of Logic, and had particularly the honour to assist in the noble
undertaking of the Polyglot Bible." He was also the author of some
* Lc Neve's Lives of the Bishops, vol. i. p. 247.
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. xix
Latin verses published in several different collections, and wrote a Com-
ment upon Psalm 103, Svo. London, 1649. He appears to have been a
considerable benefactor to the University of Cambridge, having given
^£40 per annum for the foundation of four scholarships in Jesus College,
of which he was master, and having also founded two scholarships of
jCIO per annum each at Bennet College, of which he was once a Fellow.
He also contributed largely towards the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathe-
dral, liOndon. It is perhaps not unworthy of remark, that the celebrated
Laurence Sterne is said to have been his great-grandson.
There is extant a finely engraved mezzotint portrait of the Archbishop,
by F. Place ; for more particulars of him, vide Querela Cantab rigiensis
at the end of the Mercurius Rusticus, and Master's History of Corpus
Christi College, Cambridge.
DR. HAMMOND'S LETTER
to mr. garthwait, the publisher of the first edition.
Sir:
You needed not any intercession to recommend this task
to me which brought its invitations and reward with it. I
very willingly read over all the sheets, both of the Discourse
and the Devotions annexed, and find great cause to bless
God for both, not discerning what is wanting in any part of
cither, to render it, with God's blessing, most sufficient, and
proper to the great end designed, the spiritual supplies and
advantages of all those that shall be exercised therein. The
subject matter of it is indeed what the title undertakes. The
Whole Duty of Man, set down in all the branches, Avith
those advantages of brevity and partitions, to invite, and sup-
port, and engage the reader, that condescension to the mean-
est capacities, but withal, that weight of spiritual arguments,
wherein the best proficients will be glad to be assisted, that
it seems to me equally fitted for both sorts of readers, which
shall bring with them a sincere desire of their own, either
present or future advantages. The Devotion part in the
XX DR. HAMMOND S LETTER.
conclusion is no way inferior, being a seasonable aid to every
man's infirmities, and hath extended itself very particularly
to all our principal concernments. The Introduction hath
supplied the place of a Preface, which you seem to desire
from me, and leaves me no more to add, but my prayers to
God, " that the Author which hath taken care to convey so
liberal an alms to the Corban so secretly, may not miss
to be rewarded openly, in the visible power, and benefit of
this work, on the hearts of the whole nation, which was
never in more need of such supplies as are here afibrded."
That his all-sufiicient Grace will bless the seed sown, and
give an abundant increase, is the humblest request of
Your assured Friend,
H. Hammond.
March 7, 1657.
A PREFACE
TO THE ENSUING TREATISE, SHOWING THE NECESSITY OF
CARING FOR THE SOUL.
1. The only intent of the ensuing treatise is, to be a short
and plain direction to the very meanest readers, to behave
themselves so in this world, that they may be happy for
ever in the next. But because it is in vain to tell men their
Duty, till they be persuaded of the necessity of performing
it, I shall, before I proceed to the particulars required of every
Christian, endeavour to win them to the Practice of one ge-
neral Duty preparatory to all the rest ; and that is, the Con-
sideration and Care of their own Souls, without which they
will never think themselves much concerned in the other.
2. Man, we know, is made up of two parts, a body and a
soul ; the body only the husk or shell of the soul, a lump of
flesh, subject to many diseases and pains while it lives, and at
last to death itself; and then it is so far from being valued,
that it is not to be endured above ground, but laid to rot in
the earth. Yet to this viler part of us we perform a great
deal of care ; all the labour and toil we are at, is to maintain
that. But the more precious part, the Soul, is little thought of,
no care taken how it fares, but as if it were a thing that nothing
concerned us, is left quite neglected, never considered by us.
3. This carelessness of the Soul is the root of all the sin
we commit, and therefore whosoever intends to set upon a
Christian course, must in the first place amend that. To the
doing whereof, there needs no deep learning, or extraordinary
parts ; the simplest man living (that is not a natural fool)
hath understanding enough for it, if he will but act in this by
the same rules of common Reason, whereby he proceeds in
his worldly business. I will therefore now briefly set down
some of those Motives, which use to stir up our care of any
outward thing, and then apply them to the soul.
(xxi)
XXll PREFACE.
4. There be four things especially, which use to awake our
care ; the first is the worth of the thing, the second the use-
fulness of it to us, when we cannot part with it without great
damage and mischief, the third the great danger of it, and the
fourth the likelihood that our care will not be in vain, but
that it will preserve the thing cared for.
5. For the first, we know our care of any worldly thing is
answerable to the worth of it ; what is of
greatest price, we are most watchful to pre-
THE SOUL. ^ 1 r r n 1
serve, and most fearful to lose ; no man locks
up dung in his chest, but his money, or what he counts pre-
cious, he doth. Now in this respect the Soul deserves more
care than all the things in the world besides, for it is infinitely
more worth ; first, in that it is made after the image of God,
it was God that breathed into man this breath of life, Gen. ii. 7.
Now God being of the greatest excellency and worth, the more
any thing is like him, the more it is to be valued. But it is
sure that no creature upon the earth is at all like God, but the
Soul of man, and therefore nothing ought to have so much of
our care. Secondly, the Soul never dies. We use to prize
things according to their durableness ; what is most lasting is
most worth. Now the Soul is a thing that will last for ever ;
when wealth, beauty, strength, nay, our very bodies them-
selves fade away, the Soul still continues. Therefore in that
respect also, the Soul is of the greatest worth ; and then what
strange madness is it for us to neglect them as we do ! we
can spend days, and weeks, and months, and years, nay, our
whole lives in hunting after a little wealth of this world, which
is of no durance or continuance, and in the mean time let this
great durable treasure, our Souls, be stolen from us by the devil.
6. A second motive to our care of any thing, is the useful-
ness of it to us, or the great mischief we
THE misery of gh^U have by the loss of it. Common rea-
LosiNG THE ^^^ tcachcs US this in all things of this life.
SOUL.
If our hairs fall, we do not much regard,
because we can be well enough without them ; but if we are
PREFACE. XXlll
in danger to lose our eyes or limbs, we think all the care we
can take little enough to prevent it, because we know it will
be a great misery. But certainly there is no misery to be
compared to that misery that follows the loss of the Soul. It
is true, we cannot lose our Souls, in one sense, that is, so
lose them, that they shall cease to be ; but we may lose them
in another, that we should wish to lose them even in that ;
that is, we may lose that happy estate to which they were
created, and plunge them into the extremest misery. In a
word, we may lose them in hell, whence there is no fetching
them back, and so they are lost for ever. Nay, in this consi-
deration our very bodies are concerned, those darlings of ours,
for which all our care is laid out ; for they must certainly
after death be raised again, and be joined again to the Soul,
and take part with it in whatever state ; if then our care for
the body take up all our time and thoughts, and leave us none
to bestow on the poor Soul, it is sure the Soul Avill for want
of that care be made for ever miserable. But it is as sure,
that that very body must be so too. And therefore, if you
have any true kindness to your body, show it by taking care
for your Souls. Think with yourselves, how you will be
able to endure everlasting burnings. If a small spark of fire,
lighting on the least part of the body be so intolerable, what
will it be to have the whole cast into the hottest flames ?
And that not for some few hours or days, but for ever ? so
that when you have spent many thousands of years in that
unspeakable torment, you shall be no nearer coming out of it,
than you were the first day you went in ; think of this, I say,
and think this withal, that this will certainly be the end of
neglecting the Soul, and therefore afibrd it some care, if it be
but in pity to the body, that must bear a part in its miseries.
7. The third motive to the care of any thing is its being in
danger ; now a thing may be in danger two
^ , , . r -^x. 4. *i^- THE DANGER THE
ways : first, by enemies trom without ; this
•^ . . SOUL IS IN.
is the case of the sheep, which is still in
danger of being devoured by wolves ; and we know that
XXIV PREFACE.
makes the shepherd so much more watchful over it. Thus it
is vrith the Soul, which is in a great deal of danger, in re-
spect of its enemies ; those we know are the world, the flesh,
and the devil ; which are all such noted enemies to it, that
the very first act we do in behalf of our Souls, is to vow a
continual war against them. This we all do in our baptism ;
and whoever makes any truce with any of them, is false not
only to his Soul, but to his vow also ; becomes a forsworn
creature : a consideration well worthy our laying to heart.
But that we may the better understand what danger the soul
is in, let us a little consider the quality of these enemies.
8. In a war, you know, there are divers things that make
an enemy terrible : the first is subtilty and cunning, by which
alone many victories have been won ; and in this respect the
devil is a dangerous adversary ; he long since gave sufficient
proof of his subtilty, in beguiling our first parents, who yet
were much wiser than we are ; and therefore no wonder if
he deceive and cheat us. Secondly, the watchfulness and
diligence of an enemy makes him the more to be feared ; and
here the devil exceeds : it is his trade and business to destroy
us, and he is no loiterer at it, he goes up and down seeking
whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8, he watches all opportunities
of advantage against us, with such diligence, that he will be
sure never to let any slip him. Thirdly, an enemy near us is
more to be feared than one at a distance : for if he be far off,
we may have time to arm, and prepare ourselves against him,
but if he be near, he may steal on us unawares. And of
this sort is the flesh, it is an enemy, at our doors, shall I say ?
nay, in our bosoms, it is always near us, to take occasion of
doing us mischiefs. Fourthly, the baser and falser an enemy
is, the more dangerous. He that hides his malice under the
show of friendship, will be able to do a great deal the more
hurt. And this again is the flesh, which, like Joab to Abner,
2 Sam. iii. 27, pretends to speak peaceably to us, but wounds
us to death ; it is forward to purvey for pleasures and delights
for us, and so seems very kind, but it has a hook under that
PREFACE. XXV
bait, and if we bite at it we are lost. Fifthly, the number of
enemies makes them more terrible ; and the world is a vast
army against us ; there is no state or condition in it, nay,
scarce a creature which doth not at some time or other fight
against the Soul : the honours of the world seek to wound us
by pride, the wealth by covetousness, the prosperity of it
tempts us to forget God, the adversities to murmur at him.
Our very table becomes a snare to us, our meat draws us to
gluttony, our drink to drunkenness, our company, nay, our
nearest friends often bear a part in this war against us, whilst,
either by their example or persuasions, they entice us to sin.
9. Consider all this, and then tell me whether a Soul thus
beset hath leisure to sleep : even Delilah could tell Samson,
it was time to awake when the Philistines were upon him.
And Christ tells us. If the good man of the house had knoivn
in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched,
and not have suffered his house to be broken up, Matt. xxiv.
43. But we live in the midst of thieves, and therefore must
look for them every hour, and yet who is there among us
that hath that common providence for this precious part of
him, his Soul, which he hath for his house, or indeed the
meanest thing that belongs to him ? I fear our Souls may
say so to us, as Christ to his disciples. What I could ye not
laatch with me one hour ? Matt. xxvi. 40. For I doubt it
would pose many of us to tell when we bestowed one hour on
them, though we know them to be continually beset with most
dangerous enemies. And then, alas ! what is like to be the
case of these poor Souls, when their adversaries bestow so
much care and diligence to destroy them, and we will afford
none to preserve them ? surely the same as of a besieged
town, where no watch or guard is kept, which is certain to
fall a prey to the enemy. Consider this ye that forget God,
nay, ye that forget yourselves, lest he pluck you away, and
there be none to deliver you. Psalm 1. 22.
10. But I told you there was a second way whereby a
thing may be in danger, and that is, from some disorder or
3
XXVI PREFACE.
distemper within itself. This is often the case of our bodies,
they are not only liable to outward violence, but they are
within themselves sick and diseased. And then we can be
sensible enough that they are in danger, and need not to be
taught to seek out for means to recover them. But this is
also the case of the Soul, we reckon those parts of the body
diseased, that do not rightly perform their office ; we account
it a sick palate that tastes not aright, a sick stomach that di-
gests not. And thus it is with the Soul when its parts do
not rightly perform their offices.
11. The parts of the Soul are especially these three : the
Understanding, the Will, and the Affections. And that
these are disordered, there needs litde proof; let any man
look seriously into his own heart, and consider how little it
is he knows of spiritual things, and then tell me whether his
understanding be not dark ? How much apter is he to will
evil than good, and then tell me whether his wiU be not
crooked ? And how strong desires he hath after the plea-
sures of sin, and what cold and faint ones towards God and
goodness, and then tell me whether his affections be not dis-
ordered, and rebellious even against the voice of his own rea-
son within him ? Now, as in bodily diseases, the first step to
the cure is to know the cause of the sickness, so likewise here
it is very necessary for us to know how the Soul first fell into
this diseased condition, and that I shall now briefly tell you.
12. God created the first man, Adam, without sin, and
endued his Soul with the full knowledge
THE FIRST ^£ j^.g -Qy. ^^^ ^-^1^ g^^l^ ^ strength,
covenant. , , / ' .^ ^ ,, n
that he might, it he would, perform all
that was required of him. Having thus created him, he
makes a covenant or agreement with him to this purpose,
that if he continued in obedience to God without committing
sin ; then first, that strength of Soul, which he then had,
should still be continued to him ; and secondly, that he should
never die, but be taken up into heaven, there to be happy for
ever. But on the other side, if he committed sin and dis-
PREFACE. XXVil
obeyed God, then both he and all his children after him
should lose that knowledge and that perfect strength which
enabled him to do all that God required of him : and secondly,
should be subject to death, and not only so, but to eternal
damnation in Hell.
13. This was the agreement made with Adam and all man-
kind in him (which we usually call the First Covenant) upon
which God gave Adam a particular commandment, which was
no more but this, that he should not eat of one only tree of that
garden wherein he had placed him. But he by the persuasion
of the devil eats of that tree, disobeys God, and so brings that
curse upon himself, and all his posterity. And so by that one
sin of his, he lost both the full knowledge of his Duty, and
the power of performing it. And we being born after his
image, did so likewise, and so are become both ignorant in
disqerning what we ought to do, and weak and unable to the
doing of it, having a backwardness to all good, and an apt-
ness, and readiness to all evil ; like a sick stomach, which
loathes all wholesome food, and longs after such trash as
may nourish the disease.
14. And now you see where we got this sickness of Soul,
and likewise that it is like to prove a deadly one, and there-
fore I presume I need say no more, to assure you our souls are
in danger. It is more likely you will from this description
think them hopeless. But that you may not from that conceit
excuse your neglect of them, I shall hasten to show you the
contrary, by proceeding to the fourth motive of care.
15. That fourth motive is the likelihood that our care will
not be in vain, but that it will be a means
, ii, ^i.- J r 1, THAT OUR CARE
to preserve the thmg cared for ; where
, . . . f . , WILL NOT BE IN
this IS wantmg, it disheartens our care. vain.
A physician leaves his patient when he
sees him past hope, as knowing it is then in vain to give him
any thing; but on the contrary, when he sees hope of re-
covery, he plies him with medicines. Now in this very re-
spect we have a great deal of reason to take care of our Souls,
XXVIU PREFACE.
for they are not so far gone, but they may be recovered, nay,
it is certain they will, if we do our parts towards it.
1 6. For though by that sin of Adam all mankind were under
the sentence of condemnation, yet it pleased God so far to
pity our misery, as to give us his Son, and in him to make
a new Covenant with us, after we had broken the first.
17. This second Covenant was made with Adam and us in
him, presently after his fall, and is briefly
THE SECOND ^^jj^^ij^g^j i^ those words. Gen. iii. 15,
where God declares, that the seed of the
woman shall break the serpenfs head; and this was made
up, as the first was, of some mercies to be afforded by God,
and some duties to be performed by us.
18. God therein promises to send his only Son, who is
God equal with himself, to earth, to become man like unto
us in all things, sin only excepted, and he to do for us these
several things.
19. First, to make known to us the whole Will of his Fa-
ther ; in the performance whereof we shall be sure to be ac-
cepted and rewarded by him. And this was one gi-eat part of
his business, which he performed in those many sermons and
precepts we find set down in the Gospel. And herein he is
our Prophet, it being the work of a Prophet of old not only to
foretell, but to teach. Our duty in this particular is to hearken
diligently to him, to be most ready and desirous to learn that
will of God which he came from Heaven to reveal to us.
20. The second thing He was to do for us, was to satisfy
God for our sins, not only that one of Adam, but all the sins
of all mankind that truly repent and amend, and by this
means to obtain for us forgiveness of sins, the favour of God,
and so to redeem us from Hell and eternal damnation, which
was the punishment due to our sin. All this he did for us by
his death. He offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of
all those who heartily bewail, and forsake them. And in this
He is our Priest, it being the Priest's office to offer sacrifice
for the sins of the people. Our duty in this particular is, first.
PREFACE XXIX
truly and heartily to repent us of, and forsake our sins, with-
out which they will never be forgiven us, though Christ have
died. Secondly, steadfastly to believe, that if we do that, we
shall have the benefits of that sacrifice of his ; all our sins,
how many and great soever, shall be forgiven us, and we
saved from those eternal punishments which were due unto
us for them. Another part of the priest's office was blessing
and praying for the people ; and this also Christ performs to
us. It was his special commission from his Father to bless
us, as St. Peter tells us. Acts iii. 26 : God sent his Son Jesus
to bless you ; and the following words show wherein that
blessing consists, in turning aivay every one of you from his
iniquity: those means which he has used for the turning us
from our sins are to be reckoned of all other the greatest
blessings ; and for the other part, that of praying, that he not
only performed on earth, but continues still to do it in Hea-
ven, He sits on the right hand of God, and makes request
for us, Rom. viii. 34. Our duty herein is, not to resist this
unspeakable blessing of his, but to be willing to be thus blest
in the being turned from our sins, and not to make void and
fruitless all his prayers and intercessions for us, which will
never prevail for us whilst we continue in them.
21. The third thing that Christ was to do for us, was to
enable us, or give us strength to do what God requires of us.
This he doth, first, by taking ofiffrom the hardness of the Law
given to Adam, which was, never to commit the least sin,
upon pain of damnation, and requiring of us only an honest
and hearty endeavour to do what we are able, and where we
fail, accepting of sincere repentance. Secondly, by sending
his holy Spirit into our hearts to govern and rule us, to give
us strength to overcome temptations to Sin, and to do all that
He under the Gospel requires of us. And in this he is our
King, it being the office of a King to govern and rule, and to
subdue enemies. Our duty in this particular is to give up
ourselves obedient subjects of his, to be governed and ruled
by him, to obey all his laws, not to take part with any rebel,
3*
XXX PREFACE.
that is, not to cherish any one sin, but diligently to pray for
his grace to enable us to subdue all, and then carefully to
make use of it to that purpose.
22. Lastly, He has purchased for all that faithfully obey
him, an eternal glorious inheritance, the kingdom of Heaven,
whither he is gone before to take possession for us. Our
duty herein is to be exceeding careful, that we forfeit not our
parts in it, which we shall certainly do, if we continue impe-
nitent in any sin. Secondly, not to fasten our affections on
this world, but to raise them according to the precept of the
Apostle, CoL. iii. 2, set your affection on things above, and
not on things on the earth; continually longing to come to the
possession of that blessed inheritance of ours, in comparison
whereof all things here below should seem vile and mean to us.
23. This is the sum of that Second Covenant we are now
under, wherein you see what Christ hath done, how he exe-
cutes those three great offices of King, Priest, and Prophet :
as also what is required of us, without our faithful perform-
ance of which, all that he hath done shall never stand us in
any stead ; for he will never be a Priest to save any, who
take him not as well for their prophet to teach, and their king
to rule them ; nay, if we neglect our part of this covenant,
our condition will be yet worse than if' it had never been
made ; for we shall then be to answer, not for the breach of
law only, as in the first, but for the abuse of mercy, which is
of all sins the most provoking. On the other side, if we
faithfully perform it, that is, set ourselves heartily to the
obeying of every precept of Christ, not going on wilfully in
any one sin, but bewailing and forsaking whatever we have
formerly been guilty of, it is then most certain, that all the
forementioned benefits of Christ belong to us.
24. And now you see how little reason you have to cast
off the Care of your Souls, upon a conceit they are past
cure, for that it is plain they are not ; nay, certainly they are
in that very condition, which of all others makes them fittest
for our care. If they had not been thus Redeemed by Christ,
they had been then so hopeless, that care would have been in
PREFACE. XXXI
vain ; on the other side, if his redemption had been such that
all men should be saved by it, though they live as they list,
we should have thought it needless to take care for them, be-
cause they were safe without it. But it hath pleased God so to
order it, that our care must be the means by which they must
receive the good even of all that Christ hath done for them.
25. And now if after all that God hath done to save these
Souls of ours, we will not bestow a little Care on them our-
selves, we very well deserve to perish. If a physician should
undertake a patient that were in some desperate disease, and
by his skill bring him so far out of it, that he were sure to re-
cover, if he would but take care of himself, and observe those
rules the physician set him, would you not think that man
weary of his life that would refuse to do that ? So certainly
that man is weary of his Soul, wilfully casts it away, that will
not consent to those easy conditions by which he may save it.
26. You see how great kindness God hath to these Souls
of ours, the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
have all done their parts for them. The Father gave his only
Son, the Son gave himself, left his Glory, and endured the
bitter death of the Cross, merely to keep our Souls from pe-
rishing. The Holy Ghost is become as it were our attend-
ant, waits upon us with continual offers of his grace, to enable
us to do that which may preserve them ; nay, he is so desirous
we should accept those offers of his, that he is said to be
grieved when we refuse them, Ephes. iv. 30. Now, what
greater disgrace and affront can we put upon God, than to de-
spise what he thus values ? that those Souls of ours, Avhich
Christ thought worthy every drop of his blood, we should not
think worth any part of our care ? We use in things of the
world, to rate them according to the opinion of those who are
best skilled in them ; now certainly God, who made our Souls,
best knows the worth of them ; and since he prizes them so
high, let us (if it be but reverence to him) be ashamed to ne-
glect them. Especially now that they are in so hopeful a
condition, that nothing but our own carelessness can possibly
destroy them.
XXXU PREFACE.
27. I have now briefly gone over those four motives of care
I at first proposed, which are each of them such as never
misses to stir it up towards the things of this world ; and I
have also showed you how much more reasonable, nay, neces-
sary it is they should do the like for the Soul. And now what
can I say more, but conclude in the words of Isaiah, xlvi. 8,
Remember this, and show yourselves men. That is, deal
with your Soul as your reason teaches you to do with all
other things that concern you. And sure this common justice
binds you to ; for the Soul is that which furnishes you with
that reason, which you exercise in all your worldly business ;
and shall the Soul itself receive no benefit from that reason
which it affords you ; this is, as if a master of a family, who
provides food for his servants, should by them be kept from
eating any himself, and so remain the only starved creature
in his house.
28. And as Justice ties you to this, so Mercy doth likewise ;
you know the poor Soul will fall into endless and unspeak-
able miseries, if you continue to neglect it, and then it will be
too late to consider it. The last refuge you can hope for, is
God's mercy, but that you have despised and abused. And
with what face can you in your greatest need beg for his
mercy to your Souls, when you would not afford them your
own ? No not that common charity of considering them, of
bestowing a few of those idle hours, you know not (scarce)
how to pass away upon them.
29. Lay this to your hearts, and as ever you hope for
God's pity, when you most want it, be sure in time to pity
yourselves, by taking that due care of your precious Souls
which belongs to them.
30. If what hath been said have persuaded you to this so
necessary a duty, my next work will be to tell you how this
Care must be employed ; and that, in a word, is in the doing
of all those things which tend to the making the Soul happy,
which is the end of our Care, and what those are I come
now to show you.
CONTENTS,
SUNDAY I.
Of the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature ; by the Light of Scripture. —
Duty to God. — Of Faith, Commands, Threatenings ; Promises. —
Hope, Presumption, Despair. — Love of God. — Fear of God. — Trusting
in God ; in all Wants, spiritual and temporal 37 — 56
SUNDAY II.
Of Humility, of Submission to God's Will in respect of Obedience ; Of
Patience ; in all sorts of Sufferings. — Of Honour due to God m several
ways ; in his House ; Possessions ; his Day ; the Feasts and Fasts of
the Church ; his Word. — Of Catecliizing. — Preaching. — Sacraments,
Baptism 57—76
SUNDAY. III.
Of the Lord's Supper, and Preparation before receiving ; of Duties at the
receiving ; and afterwards 77 — 94
SUNDAY IV.
Honour due to God's Name : Sins against it ; Blasphemy ; Sweanng,
Assertory Oaths, Promissory Oaths ; Unlawful Oaths ; Of Perjury ;
of Vain Oaths, and the Sin of them 95 — 102
SUNDAY V.
Of Worship due to God's Name ; of Prayer and Confession. — Of Public
Prayers m the Church ; in the Family. — Of Private Prayer. — The
Advantages of Prayer. — Of Repentance. — Of Fasting . . 102 — 118
SUNDAY VI.
Of Duties to Ourselves ; Of Sobriety ; Humility ; the great Sin of Pride ;
the Danger ; the Folly of this Sin. — Of Vain-glory ; Helps against it. —
Of Meekness; the Means to obtain it.— Of Consideration 119—133
xxxiii
XXXIV CONTENTS.
SUNDAY VII.
Of Contentedness, and the Contraries of it : Murmuring ; Covetousness ;
Envy, and Helps to Contentedness. — Diligence ; Industry in improv-
ing Gifts; of Nature or Grace. — Of Chastity ; Helps to it. — Temper-
ance ; its Rules in Eating, &c 132 — 144
SUNDAY VIII.
Of Temperance in Drinking: False Ends of Drinking; viz. Good-Fel-
lowship, Preserving of Kindness ; Cheering of Spirits, putting aw^ay
Cares ; Passing away Time ; Preventing Reproach ; Pleasure ; Bar-
gaining, &c. — The Guilt of Strong-Drinkers; Exhortations from
it, (fee 144—156
SUNDAY IX.
Temperance in Sleep; Mischiefs of Sloth: of Recreation. — Of Apparel,
and of the Ends for which Clothing should be used . . . 156 — 161
SUNDAY X.
Of Duties to our Neighbours : of Justice, Negative, in doing no Wrong
or Injury to any, and Positive, to do Right to all. — Of the Sin of Mur-
der ; the Heinousness of it ; the Punishment of it ; and the strange
Discoveries thereof — Of Maiming. — Of Wounds, Stripes, and Injuries
to others 162—174
SUNDAY XI.
Of Justice about the Possessions of our Neighbour ; against Injuring
him as concerning his Wife ; his Goods. — Of Malice. — Covetous Injus-
tice.— Oppression. — Theft. — Of Paying Debts; what we are bound
for, and what we have promised 174 — 181
SUNDAY XII.
Of Theft ; Stealing the Goods of our Neighbour.— Of Deceit in Trust;
in Traffic ; Concealing the Faults of his Ware ; his Overvaluing
it. — Fraud in the Buyer. — Of Restitution, and the Necessity
thereof 181—189
CONTENTS. XXXV
SUNDAY XIII.
Of False Reports ; of the Credit of our Neighbour ; False Witness. —
Slanders, Whisperings. — Of Despising and Scoffing ; for infirmities. —
Positive Justice, or the yielding to every man that which, by any kind
of right, he may challenge from us. — Of Speaking truth ; of Lying. —
Of Humility and Courteous Behaviour. — Of Meekness and Pride. —
Brawling; and Cursing. — Of Envy ; Detraction. — Respect to Men of
Extraordinary Gifts ; in regard to their Ranks and Qualities. — Dues
to those in any sort of Want. — Duties in respect of Relation. — Oi
Gratitude to Benefactors 189—206
SUNDAY XIV.
Of Duty to Parents and Magistrates ; Pastors, Love and Esteem of
them ; Maintenance, Obedience. — Of the Duty of Children to Parents :
Reverence ; Love ; Obedience ; especially in their Marriage ; Minister-
ing to their Wants. — Duty to the worst of Parents. — Duty of Parents
to their Children 206—222
SUNDAY XV.
Of Duty to our Brethren and Relations. — To a Husband Obedience ;
Fidelity ; Love. — The Faults of the Husband acquit not from these
Duties. — Dues to the Wife : Love ; Faithfulness, Maintenance, In-
struction.— Husbands and Wives mutually to pray for and assist
each other in all Good. — Virtue the chief Consideration in Mar-
riage.— Unlawful Marriages. — Friendship, — Servants' Duty. — Mas-
ters' Duty 223—237
SUNDAY XVI.
Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour: the Duty of Charity; to
Men's Souls ; Bodies, Goods, Credit, &c 237—255
SUNDAY XVII.
Of Charity in respect of our Neighbour's Goods. — Alms-giving. — Of
Charity in respect of our Neighbour's Credit. — Of Peace-making. —
Of going to Law. — Of Charity to our Enemies. — Christian duties
both possible and pleasant. — The Danger of delaying our turning to
God 255—272
XXXVl CONTENTS.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Prayers for Morning 276
Prayers for Night 280
Collects for Several Graces 284
A Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer 292
Pious Ejaculations out of the Book of Psalms .... 294
Brief heads of Examination before the Sacrament .... 296
Prayers before the Sacrament 307
Ejaculations at the Lord's Table, &c 310
Prayers after the Sacrament 312
Prayer of Intercession 313
Prayers in time of Persecution and Affliction .... 315
A Thanksgiving for Deliverance 317
Prayers for the Sick 318
Ejaculations for the Sick 323
Prayers in time of Public Calamities 326
A Prayer for this Church 328
A Prayer for the Peace of the Church 329
SUNDAY I.
Of the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature, by the Light of Scripture :
the three great Branches of Man's Duty — to God, Ourselves, our
Neighbour: oui* Duty to God; of Faith, the Promises, of Hope, of
Love, of Fear, of Trust.
The benefits purchased for us by Christ are such as will
undoubtedly make the Soul happy ; for Eternal Happiness
itself is one of them : but because these benefits belong not
to us till we perform the condition required of us, whoever
desires the happiness of his Soul must set himself to the
performing of that condition. What that is, I have already
mentioned in the general. That it is the hearty, honest en-
deavour of obeying the ivhole will of God. But then that
will of God containing under it many particulars, it is neces-
sary we should also know what those are ; that is, what are
the several things that God now requires of us, our perform-
ance whereof will bring us to everlasting happiness, and the
neglect to endless misery.
2. Of these things there are some which God hath so
stamped upon our Souls, that we naturally
know them ; that is, we should have known
them to be our Duty, though we had never ^ ^^^'
been told so by the Scripture. That this is so, we may see
by those Heathens, who having never heard of either Old
or New Testament, do yet acknowledge themselves bound
to some general Duties, as to worship God, to be just, to
honour their parents, and the like ; and as St. Paul saith,
RoM. ii. 15, Tlieir Consciences do in those things accuse
or excuse them ; that is, tell them, whether they have done
what they should, in those particulars, or no.
3. Now though Christ hath brought greater light into the
world, yet he never meant by it to put out any of that natu-
ral light, which God hath set up in our Souls : therefore let
me here, by the way, advise you not to walk contrary even
to this lesser light. I mean not to venture on any of those
acts, which mere natural conscience will tell you are sins.
4. It is just matter of sadness to any Christian heart, to
see some in these days, who profess much of Religion, and
yet live in such sins, as a mere heathen Avould abhor, men
4 (37)
38 THE LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE. [sUNDAY I.
that priBtending to higher degrees of light and hoUness than
their brethren do, yet practise contrary to all the rules of
common honesty, and make it part of their Christian liberty
so to do ; of whose seducement it concerns all that love their
Souls to beware : and for that purpose let this be laid as a
foundation, That that Religion or opinion cannot he of
God, which allows men in any wickechiess.
5. But though we must not put out this light which God
hath thus put into our Souls, yet this is not the only way
whereby God hath revealed his will ; and therefore we are
not to rest here, but proceed to the knowledge of those other
things which God hath by other means revealed.
6. The way for us to come to know them is by the Scrip-
tures, wherein are set down those several
commands of God which he hath ffiven to
SCRIPTURES. 1. *!, r> 1 f t^ . ^
be the Kule oi our Duty.
7. Of those, some were given before Christ came into the
world ; such are those precepts we find scattered throughout
the Old Testament, but especially contained in the Ten
Commandments, and that excellent book of Deuteronomy :
others were given by Christ, who added much, both to the
law implanted in us by nature, and that of the Old Testa-
ment ; and those you shall find in the New Testament, in
the several precepts given by him and his Apostles, but espe-
cially in that Divine Sermon on the Mount, set down in the
fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel.
8. All these should be severally spoke to, but because that
would make the discourse very long, and so less fit for the
meaner sort of men, for whose use alone it is intended, I
choose to proceed in another manner ; by summing up all
these together, and so, as plainly as I can, to lay down what
is now the duty of every Christian.
9. This I find briefly contained in the words of the Apos-
THE THREE GREAT '^' '^/^^ V' ,f ' P«' «"^ */'««« «««
BRANCHES OF '"^^''^^Z '-^shtcousy and godly m tins
, present loorld : where the word Soberly,
MAN S DUTY. ^ , • t^ * * i n- iJ
contams our Duty to ourselves ; Right-
eously, our Duty to our Neighbour ; and Godly, our Duty
to God. These therefore shall be the heads of my discourse,
our Duty to Goix, Ourselves, and our Neighbour. I be-
gin with that to God, that being the best groundwork whereon
to build both the other.
10. There are many parts of our Duty to God ; the two
SUNDAY I.] OF FAITH. 39
chief are these : first, to acknowledge him to be God : se-
condly, to have no other. Under these
are contained all those particulars which
make up our whole Duty to God, which shall be showed
in their order.
11. To acknowledge him to be God, is to believe him
to be an infinite glorious Spirit, that was
e , . ^ n ^ u • • A ACKNOWLEDG-
irom everlastmg, without beginning, and
shall be to everlasting, without end. That
he is our Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for ever.
That he is subject to no alteration, but is unchangeable ; that
he is no bodily substance, such as our eyes may behold, but
spiritual and invisible, whom no man hath seen, nor can
see, as the Apostle tells us, 1 Tim. vi. 16. That he is
infinitely great and excellent, beyond all that our wit or
conceit can imagine ; that he hath received his being from
none, and gives being to all things.
12. All this we are to believe of him in regard of his
essence and being : but besides this, he is set forth to us in
the Scripture by several Excellences, as that he is of Infinite
Goodness and Mercy, Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Power, All-
sufficiency, Majesty ; that he disposes and governs all things
by his Providence ; that he knows all things and is present
in all places ; these are by divines called the Attributes of
God, and all these we must undoubtingly acknowledge : that
is, we .must firmly believe all these Divine Excellences to
be in God, and that in the gi'eatest degree, and so that they
can never cease to be in him, he can never be other than
infinitely Good, Merciful, True, <^c.
13. But the acknowledging him for our God signifies yet
more than this ; it means that we should perform to him all
those several parts of Duty which belong from a creature to
his God ; what those are I am now to tell you.
14. The first is Faith, or Belief, not only that fore-
mentioned of his Essence and Attributes, but of his Word,
the believing most firmly that all that he
saith is perfectly true. This necessarily
arises from that Attribute, his truth, it being natural for us
to believe whatsoever is said of one of whose truth we are
confident. Now the Holy Scriptures being the Word of
God, we are therefore to conclude, that all that is contained
in them is most true.
40 OF FAITH. [SUNDAY I.
15. The things coittained in them are of these four sorts :
first, affirmations, such are all the stories of the Bible, when
it is said, such and such things came so
OF HIS AFFIRMA- ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ . Qj^^-g^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^f ^ yj^.
TiONS. g-j^^ ^^^g j^- J -^^ ^ manger, &c. And such
also are many points of doctrine, as that there are three Per-
sons in the Godhead, that Christ is the Son of God, and the
like. All things of this sort thus delivered in Scripture we
are to beUeve most true. And not only so, but because they
are all written for our instruction, we are to consider them
for that purpose, that is, by them to lay that foundation of
Christian knowledge, on which we may build a Christian life.
16. The second sort of things contained in the Scripture,
are the Commands ; that is, the several
COMMANDS. ^j^.^^gg enjoined us by God to perform:
these we are to believe to come from him, and to be most
just and fit for him to command : but then this belief must
bring forth obedience, that what we believe thus fit to be
done, be indeed done by us ; otherwise our belief that they
come from him serves but to make us more inexcusable.
17. Thirdly, the Scripture contains Threatenings ; many
texts there are which threaten to them that
THREATENINGS. ^^ ^^ .^^ ^^^.^ ^.^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^f ^^^ . ^^^
under that are contained all the punishments and miseries
of this life, both spiritual and temporal, and everlasting de-
struction in the life to come. Now we are most steadfastly to
believe, that these are God's threats, and that they will cer-
tainly be performed to every impenitent sinner. But then
the use we are to make of this belief, is to keep from those
sins to which this destruction is threatened ; otherwise our
belief adds to our guilt, that will wilfully go on in spite of
those threatenings.
18. Fourthly, the Scripture contains Promises, and those
both to our Bodies and our Souls. For
PROMISES. ^^^ bodies there are many Promises that
God will provide for them what he sees necessary, I will
name only one. Matt. vi. 33. Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things, that
is, all outward necessaries, shall be added unto you: but
here it is to be observed, that we must first seek the king-
dom of God and his righteousness, that is, make it our
first and greatest care to serve and obey him, before this
Promise even of temporal good things belong to us. To
SUNDAY I.] OF FAITH. 41
the Soul there are many and high Promises, as first, that of
present ease and refreshment, which we find, Matt. xi. 29.
Take my yoke iqion you, and learn of me, aiid ye shall find
rest unto your Souls : but here it is apparent that, before
this rest belongs to us, Ave must have taken on us Chrisfs
yoke, become his servants and disciples. Finally, there are
Promises to the Soul even of all the benefits of Christ ; but
yet those only to such as perform the condition required ;
that is, pardon of sins to those that repent of them, increase
of grace to those that diligently make use of what they have
already, and humbly pray for more ; and eternal salvation to
those that continue to their lives' end in hearty obedience to
his commands.
19. This belief of the Promises must, therefore, stir us up
to perform the condition ; and till it do so, we can in no
reason expect any good by them : and for us to look for the
benefit of them on other terms, is the same mad presumption
that it would be in a servant to challenge his master to give
him a reward for having done nothing of his work, to which
alone the reward was promised ; you can easily resolve
what answer were to be given to such a servant, and the
same we are to expect from God in this case. Nay, farther,
it is sure, God hath given these promises to no other end,
but to invite us to holiness of life ; yea, he gave his Son, in
whom all his promises are, as it were, summed up for this
end. We usually look so much at Christ's coming to satis-
fy for us, that we forget this other part of his errand. But
there is nothing surer, than that the main purpose of his
coming into the world was to plant good life among men.
20. This is so often repeated in Scripture, that no man
that considers and believes what he reads can doubt of it.
Christ himself tells us. Matt. ix. 13, He came to call sin-
ners to repentance. And St. Peter, Acts iii. 26, tells us.
That God sent his Son Jesus to bless us, in turning every
one of us from, our iniquities ; for it seems the turning us
from our iniquities was the greatest special blessing which
God intended us in Christ.
21. Nay, we are taught by St. Paul, that this was the
end of his very death also, Titus ii. 14. Who gave him-
self for our sins, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify to himself a pecidiar people, zealous of good
works. And again. Gal. i. 4. Who gave himself for us,
that he might deliver us from this present evil ivorld, that
4*
42 OF FAITH. [SUNDAY I.
is, from the sins and ill customs of the world. Divers other
Texts there are to this purpose ; but these I suppose suffi-
cient to assure any man of this one great truth, that all that
Christ hath done for us was directed to this end, the bring-
ing us to live Christianly : or in the words of St. Paul, To
teach us, that denying imgodliness and worldy lusts, ive
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world.
22. Now we know Christ is the foundation of all pro-
mises ; In him all the promises of God are yea, and Amen,
2 Cor. i. 20. And, therefore, if God gave Christ to this end,
certainly the Promises are to the same also. And then how
great an abuse of them is it, to make them serve for purposes
quite contrary to what they were intended ? viz. to the en-
couraging us in sins ; which they will certainly do, if we
persuade ourselves they belong to us, how wickedly soever
we live. The Apostle teaches us another use of them, 2 Cor.
vii. 1, Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse our-
selves from cdl filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God. When we do thus, we may
justly apply the Promises to ourselves, and with comfort
expect our parts in them. But, till then, though these
Promises be of certain truth, yet we can reap no benefit
from them, because we are not the persons to whom they
are made, that is, we perform not the condition required to
give us right to them.
23. This is the Faith or belief required of us towards the
things God hath revealed to us in the Scripture, to wit, such
as may answer the end for which they were so revealed,
that is, the bringing us to good lives ; the bare believing the
truth of them, without this, is no more than the Devils do,
as St. James tells us, Chap. ii. 19. Only they are not so
unreasonable as some of us are, for they will tremble, as
knowing well this Faith will never do them any good. But
many of us go on confidently, and doubt not the sufficiency
of our Faith, though we have not the least fruit of obedience
to approve it by : let such hear St. James' judgment iiji the
point, chap. ii. 26. As the body ivithout the spirit is dead,
so Faith if it have not ivorks is dead also.
24. A second duty to God is Hope, that is, a comfortable
expectation of these good things he hath
promised. But this, as I told you before
of F^aith, must be such as agrees to the nature of the pro-
SUNDAY 1.3 OF DESPAIR. ^
mises, which being such as requires a condition on our part,
we can hope no farther than we make that good ; or, if we
do, we are so far from performing by it this duty of Hope,
that we commit the great sin of Presumption,
which is nothing else but hoping where
God hath given us no ground to hope : this every man doth,
that hopes for pardon of sins and eternal life, without that
repentance and obedience to which alone they are promised ;
the true hope is that which purifies us, St. John saith, 1
Epist. iii. 3, Every man that hath this hope in himpuri-
Jieth himself, even as he is pure ; that is, it makes him leave
his sins, and earnestly endeavour to be holy as Christ is, and
that which doth not so, how confident soever it be, may
well be concluded to be but that hope of the hypocrite, which
Job assures us shall perish.
25. But there is another way of transgressing this Duty,
besides that of Presumption, and that is
by Desperation, by which, I mean not that
which is ordinarily so called, viz. the despairing of mercy, so
long as we continue in our sins, for that is but just for us to
do : but I ^lean such a Desperation as makes us give over
endeavour ; that is, when a man that sees he is not at the
present such a one as the promises belong to, concludes he
can never become such, and, therefore, neglects all duty, and
goes on in his sins. This is indeed the sinful desperation,
and that which, if it be continued in, must end in destruction.
26. Now the work of Hope is to prevent this, by setting
before us the generality of the promises, that they belong to
all that will but perform the condition. And, therefore, though
a man have not hitherto performed it, and so hath yet no
right to them, yet hope will tell him, that that right may yet
be gained, if he will now set heartily about it. It is there-
fore strange folly for any man, be he ever so sinful, to give
up himself for lost, when if he will but change his course,
he shall be as certain to partake of the promises of mercy,
as if he had never gone on in those former sins.
27. This Christ shows us in the Parable of the Prodigal,
Luke xv. where we see that Son, which had run away
from his Father, and had consumed the portion given him,
in riotous living, was yet, upon his return and repentance,
used with as much kindness by the Father, as he that had
never offended, nay, with higher and more passionate ex-
pressions of love. The intent of which Parable was only to
44 OF LOVE. [SUNDAY I.
show US how graciously our heavenly Father will receive us,
how great soever our former sins have been, if we shall re-
turn to him with true sorrow for what is past, and sincere
obedience for the time to come ; nay, so acceptable a thing
is it to God, to have any sinner return from the error of his
ways, that there is a kind of triumph in heaven for it. There
is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner
that repenteth, Luke xv. 10. And now Avho would not
rather choose by a timely repentance to bring joy to heaven,
to God and his holy Angels, than by a sullen desperation to
please Satan and his accursed spirits ; especially when by the
former we shall gain endless happiness to ourselves, and by
the latter, as endless torments ?
28. A third Duty to God is Love. There are two
common motives of Love among men.
' The one the goodness and excellency of
the person, the other his particular kindness
and love to us ; and both these are in the highest degree in God.
29. First, he is of infinite goodness, and excellency in
, himself; this you were before tauMit to
GOD S EXCEL- it c i ■ i ii.^-x
believe or him, and no man can doubt it
^ * that considers but this one thing, that there
is nothing good in the world, but what hath received all its
goodness from God : his goodness is as the sea, or ocean,
and the goodness of all creatures but as some small streams
flowing from the sea. Now you would certainly think him
a madman, that should say, the sea were not greater than
some little brook : and certainly it is no less folly to suppose
that the goodness of God doth not as much (nay, infinitely
more) exceed that of all creatures. Besides, the goodness
of the creature is imperfect, and mixed with much evil ; but
his is pure and entire, without any such mixture. He is
perfectly holy, and cannot be tainted with the least impunity,
neither can be the author of any to us ; for, though he be the
cause of all the goodness in us, he is the cause of none of
our sins. This St. James expressly tells us. Chap. i. 13.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God;
for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he
any man.
30. But secondly, God is not only thus good in himself,
but he is also wonderful good, that is, kind
HIS KINDNESS i -n ^ ^ j r^
and merciful to us : we are made up oi two
parts, a Soul and a Body ; and to each of
SUNDAY I.] OF LOVE. 45
these God hath expressed infinite mercy and tenderness.
Do but consider what was before told you of the Second
Covenant, and the mercies therein offered, even Christ
himself and all his benefits, and also that he offers them so
sincerely and heartily, that no man can miss of enjoying
them but by his own default. For he doth most really and
affectionately desire we should embrace them and live ; as
appears by that solemn oath of his, Ezek. xxxiii. II. ^s 1
live^ saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the
ivicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live:
whereto he adds this passionate expression, Turn, ye, turn
ye from your evil ways, for ivhy will ye die ? To the
same purpose you may read Ezek. xviii. Consider this, I say,
and then surely you cannot but say, he hath great kindness
to our souls. Nay, let every man but remember with him-
self the many calls he hath had to repentance and amendment ;
sometimes outward by the Word, sometimes inward by the
secret whispers of God's Spirit in his heart, which were
only to woo and entreat him to avoid eternal misery, and to
accept of eternal happiness ; let him, I say, remember these,
together Avith those many other means God hath used to-
ward him for the same end, and he will have reason to
confess God's kindness, not only to men's souls in general,
but to his own in particular.
31. Neither hath he been wanting to our bodies ; all the
good things they enjoy, as health, strength, food, raiment,
and whatever else concerns them, are merely his gifts : sd
that indeed it is impossible we should be ignorant of his
mercies to them, all those outward comforts and refresh-
ments we daily enjoy, being continual effects and witnesses
of it ; and though some enjoy more of these than others, yet
there is no person but enjoys so much in one kind or other,
as abundantly shows God's mercy and kindness to him in
respect of his body.
32. And now surely you will think it but reasonable we
should love him, who is in all respects thus lovely : indeed
this is a duty so generally acknowledged, that if you should
ask any man the question, whether he loved God or no, he
would think you did him great wrong to doubt of it ; yet for
all this, it is too plain, that there are very few that do indeed
love him ; and this will soon be proved to you by examining
a little what are the common effects of love, which we bear to
4*'
US OF LOVE. [SUNDAY I.
men like ourselves, and then trying whether we can show
any such fruits of our love to God.
33. Of that sort there are divers, but for shortness I will
name but two. The first is a Desire of
FRUIT OF LOVE, pj^^g^ ^hc sccoud a Desire of Enioyment.
These are constantly the fruits of Love.
PLEASING. -p^^ ^j^g ^^g^^ .^ .g i^jjQ^^jj i^y aii^ tJ^g^j he
that loves any person is very desirous to approve himself to
him, to do whatsoever he thinks will be pleasing to him ; and
according to the degree of love, so is this desire more or
less ; where we love earnestly, we are very earnest and
careful to please. Now if we have indeed that love to God
we pretend to, it will bring forth this fruit, we shall be care-
ful to please him in all things. Therefore as you judge of
the free by its fruits, so may you judge of your love of God
by this fruit of it; nay indeed, this is the way of trial
which Christ himself hath given us, John xiv. 15. Jf ye
love me, keep my Commanchnents : and St. John tells us,
1 Epist. v. 3. That this is the love of God, that loe
walk after his Commandments ; and where this one proof
is wanting, it will be impossible to testify our love to God.
34. But it must yet be farther considered, that this love
of God must not be in a low or weak degree ; for besides
that the motives to it, his excellency and his kindness, are in
the highest; the same commandment which bids us love
God, bids us love him ivith all our hearts, and with all our
strength, that is, as much as is possible for us, and above
any thing else. And therefore, to the fulfilling this com-
mandment, it is necessary we love him in that degree ; and
if we do so, then certainly we shall have not only some
slight and faint endeavours of pleasing, but such as are
most diligent and earnest, such as will put us upon the most
painful and costly duties, make us willing to forsake our
own ease, goods, friends, yea life itself, when we cannot keep
them without disobeying God.
35. Now examine thyself by this : hast thou this fruit of
love to show ? Dost thou make it thy constant and greatest
care to keep God's Commandments ? to obey him in all
things ? earnestly labouring to please him to the utmost of
thy power, even to the forsaking of what is dearest to thee
in this world ? If thou dost, thou mayest then truly say thou
lovest God. But on the contrary, if thou wilfully continuest
in the breach of many, nay, but of any one command of his,
SUNDAY I.] OF LOVE. 4t
never deceive thyself, for the love of God abides not in thee.
This will be made plain to you, if you consider what the
Scripture saith of such, as that they are enemies to God hy
their wicked works, Col. i. 21. That the carnal mind
(and such is every one that continues wilfully in sin) is en-
mity with God, Rom. viii. 7. That he that sijis wilfully,
tramples underfoot the Son of God, and doth despite unto
the Spirit of Grace, Heb. x 29, and many the like. And
therefore unless you can think enmity, and trampling, and
despite to be the fruits of love, you must not believe you
love God, whilst you go on in a wilful disobedience to
him.
36. A second fruit of love, I told you, was Desire of En-
ioyinof. This is constantly to be seen in
•' -^ 1*= ^ a ^yn 1, DESIRE OF EN-
our love to one another. It you have a
friend whom you entirely love, you desire
his conversation, wish to be always in his company : and
thus will it be also in our love to God, if that be as great
and hearty as this.
37. There is a twofold enjoying of God, the one imperfect
in this life, the other more perfect and complete in the life to
come : that in this life is that conversation, as I may call it,
which we have with God in his ordinances, in praying and
meditating, in hearing his word, in receiving the sacrament,
which are all intended for this purpose, to bring us into an
intimacy and familiarity with God by speaking to him, and
hearing him speak to us.
38. Now if we do indeed love God, we shall certainly
hugely value and desire these ways of conversing with him ;
it being all that we can have in this life, it will make us with
David esteem 07ie day in God's courts better than a thousand,
Ps. Ixxxiv. 10 ; we shall be glad to have these opportunities
of approaching to him as often as it is possible, and be care-
ful to use them diligently, to that end of uniting us still more
to him ; yea, we shall come to these spiritual exercises with
the same cheerfulness we would go to our dearest friend.
And if indeed we do thus, it is a good proof of our love.
39. But I fear there are not many have this to show for
it, as appears by the common backwardness and unwilling-
ness of men to come to these ; and their negligence and
heartlessness when they are at them ; and can we think that
God will ever own us for lovers of him, whilst we have
such dislike to his company, that Ave will never come into
48 OF LOVE OF GOD. [^SUNDAY 1
it but when we are dragged by fear, or shame of men, or
some such worldly motive ? It is sure you would not think
that man loved you, whom you perceive to shun your
company, and be loath to come in your sight. And therefore
be not so unreasonable as to say, you love God, when yet
you desire to keep as far from him as you can.
40. But besides this there is another enjoyment of God,
which is more perfect and complete, and that is our perpe-
tual enjoying of him in Heaven, where we shall be for ever
united to him, and enjoy him not now and then only for
short spaces of time, as we do here, but continually without
interruption, or breaking off. And certainly if we have
that degree of love to God we ought, this cannot but be most
earnestly desired by us so much, that we should think no
labour too great to compass it. The seven years that Jacob
served for Rachel, Gen. xxix. 20, seemed to him hut a
few days for the love that he had to her: and surely if we
have love to God, we shall not think the service of our
whole lives too dear a price for this full enjoyment of him,
nor esteem all the enjoyments of the world worth the look-
ing on in comparison thereof.
41. If we can truly tell ourselves we do thus long for
this enjoyment of God, we may believe we love him. But
I fear again there are but few that can thus approve their
love. For if we look into men's lives, we shall see they
are not generally so fond of this enjoyment, as to be at any
pains to purchase it. And not only so, but it is to be doubt-
ed, there are many who, if it were put to their choice,
whether they would live here always to enjoy the profit and
pleasure of the world, or go to Heaven to enjoy God, would,
like the children of Gad and Reuben, set up their rest
on thi^ side Jordan, Numb, xxxii. and never desire that
heavenly Canaan ; so close do their affections cleave to
things below : which shows clearly they have not made God
their treasure, for then according to our Saviour's Rule,
Matt vi. 22, their heart would be with him. Nay, farther
yet ; it is too plain that many of us set so little value on this
enjoying of God, that we prefer the vilest and basest sins
before him, and choose to enjoy them, though by it we utter-
ly lose our parts in Him, which is the case of every man
that contines wilfully in those sins.
42. And now I fear, according to these rules of trial, many
that profess to love God, will be found not to do so. I
SUNDAY I.] OF FEAR OF GOD. 4$
conclude all with the words of St. John, 1 Epist. iii. 18,
which, though spoken of the love of our brethren, is very
fitly appliable to this love of God, Let us not love in wordy
neither in tongue, hut in deed and in truth.
43. A fourth duty to God is Fear ; this arises from the
consideration both of his justice and his
power. His justice is such that he will
not clear the wicked, and his power such that he is able to
inflict the sorest punishments upon them ; and that this is a
reasonable cause of fear, Christ himself tells us. Matt. x.
28. Fear him ivhich is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell. Many other places of Scripture there are, which
commend to us this duty, as Psalm ii. 11. Serve the Lord
with fear. Psalm xxxiv. 9, Fear the Lord ye that be his
Saints. Pro v. ix. 10, The fear of the Lord is the begin-
ning of wisdom, and divers the like ; and indeed all the
threatenings of wrath against sinners, which we meet with
in the Scripture, are only to this end, to work this fear in
our hearts.
44. Now this fear is nothing ,else but such an awful
regard of God as may keep us from offending him. This
the wise man tells us. Pro v. xvi. 6, The fear of the Lord
is to depart fiom evil: so that none can be said truly to
fear God, that is not thereby withheld from sin ; and this is
but answerable to that common fear we have towards men ;
whoever we know may hurt us, we will beware of provok-
ing ; and therefore if we be not as wary of displeasing God,
it is plain we fear men more than we do him.
45. How great a madness this is, thus to fear men above
God, will soon appear, if we compare what
1 . a \i, 4 1 • I. n A THE FOLLY OF
man can do to us with that which God can.
And first, it is sure, it is not in the power
c /r • i,j. J -A J. \ ^ J MORE THAN
of man (1 might say devils too) to do us
any hurt, unless God permit and suffer
them to do it : so that if we do but keep him our friend, we
may say with the Psalmist, The Lord is on my side, I fear
not lohat man can do unto me. For let their malice be
never so great, he can restrain and keep them from hurting
us : nay, he can change their minds towards us, according
to that of the wdse man, Prov. xvi. 7, When a man'^ ways
please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace
ivith him,. A notable example of this we have in Jacob,
Gen. xxxii. who when his brother Esau was coming against
50 OF FEAR OF GOD. [sUNDAY I.
him as an enemy, God wonderfully turned his heart, so that
he met him with all the expressions of brotherly kindness,
as you may read in the next chapter.
46. But secondly, Suppose men were left at liberty to do
thee what mischief they could ; alas ! their power goes but a
litde way : they may perhaps, rob thee of thy goods, it may
be they may take away thy liberty or thy credit, or, per-
chance, thy life too ; but that thou knowest is the utmost
they can do. But now God can do all this when he pleases,
and that which is infinitely more, his vengeance reaches
even beyond death itself, to the eternal misery both of body
and soul in hell ; in comparison of which, death is so incon-
siderable, that we are not to look upon it with any dread.
Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no
more that they can do, saith Christ, Luke xii. 4. And
then immediately adds. But I will forewarn you whom you
shall fear : fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power
to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, fear him. In which
words, the comparison is set between the greatest ill we can
suffer from men, the loss of life, and those sadder evils God
can inflict on us ; and the latter are found to be the only
dreadful things, and therefore, God only to be feared.
47. But there yet is one thing farther considerable in this
matter, which is this : It is possible we may transgress
against men and they not know it : I may perhaps steal my
neighbour's goods, or defile his wife, and keep it so close
that he shall not suspect me, and so never bring me to
punishment for it : but this we cannot do with God ; he
knows all things, even the most secret thoughts of our
hearts ; and, therefore, though we commit a sin never so
closely, he is sure to find us, and will as surely, if we do not
timely repent, punish us eternally for it.
48. And now surely it cannot but be confessed, that it is
much safer displeasing men, than God ; yet, alas ! our
practice is as if we believed the direct contrary, there being
nothing more ordinary with us, than for the avoiding of
some present danger we fear from men, to rush ourselves
upon the indignation of God. And thus it is with us, when,
either to save our estates, or credits, or our very lives, we
commit any sin ; for that is plainly the choosing to provoke
God, rather than man.
49. But God knows this case of fear of men is not the
only one wherein we venture to displease him ; for we
SUNDAY i.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 51
commit many sins, to which we have none of this tempta-
tion, nor indeed any other ; as for instance, that of common
swearing, to Avhich there is nothing either of pleasure or
profit to invite us. Nay, many times, we, who so fear the
mischiefs that other men may do to us, that we are ready to
buy them off with the greatest sins, do ourselves bring all
those very mischiefs upon us by sins of our own choosing.
Thus the careless prodigal robs himself of his estate, the
deceitfal and dishonest man, or any that lives in open
notorious sin, deprives himself of his credit, and the drunkard
and glutton brings deseases on himself, to the shortening his
life. And can we think we do at all fear God, when that
fear hath so little power over us, that though it be backed
with the many present mischiefs that attend upon sin, it is
not able to keep us from them ? Surely such men are far
from fearing God, that they rather seem to defy him, resolve
to provoke him, whatsoever it cost them, either in this world
or the next. Yet so unreasonably partial are we to ourselves,
that even such as these will pretend to this fear : you may
examine multitudes of the most gross scandalous sinners,
before you shall meet with one that will acknoAvledge he
fears not God. It is strange it should be possible for men
thus to cheat themselves ; but, however, it is certain we can-
not deceive God, he will not be mocked, and, therefore, if
we will not now so fear as to avoid sin, we shall one day
fear when it will be too late to avoid punishment.
50. A fifth duty to God, is that of Trusting in him, that
is, depending and resting on him : and that
is, first, in all dangers ; secondly, in all
wants. We are to rest on him in all our dangers, both
spiritual and temporal. Of the first sort, are all those
temptations by which we are in danger to be drawn to sin.
And in this respect he hath promised that
if we resist the Devil, he shall flee from , ^
us, James iv. 7. Therefore our duty is
first to pray earnestly for God's grace to enable us to over-
come the temptation, and secondly, to set ourselves manfully
to combat with it, not yielding or giving consent to it in the
least degree ; and whilst we do thus, we are confidently to
rest upon God, that his grace will be sufficient for us, that
he will either remove the temptation, or strengthen us to
withstand it.
51. Secondly, in all outward and temporal dangers we
52 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I.
are to rest upon him, as knowing that he is able to deliver
us, and that he will do so if he see it best
for us, and if we be such to whom he hath
promised his protection, that is, such as
truly fear him. To this purpose we have many promises
in Scripture, Psalm xxxiv. 7, The angel of the Lord tar-
rieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them:
and Psalm xxxiv. 22, The Lord delivereth the souls of his
saints, and all that put their trust in him shall not be desti-
tute ; and divers the like.
Also we have many examples, as that of the three child-
ren in the furnace, Dan. iii.; that of Daniel in the lion's den,
Dan. vi.; and many others : all which serve to teach us this
one lesson, that if we go on conscionably in performing our
duty, we need not be dismayed for any thing that can befall
us, for the God whom we serve is able to deliver us.
52. Therefore, in all dangers we are first humbly to pray
for his aid, and then to rest ourselves
SEEK TO E- (jj^ggpfy^iy Qn him ; and assuring ourselves
LIVER OURSELVES ^i ^ r n • i • i n i.
that he will give such an issue as shall be
BY ANY SIN. ^^g^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ -g^^ above all things,
we must be sure to fix our dependence wholly on him, and
not to rely on the creatures for help ; much less must we
seek to deliver ourselves by any unlawful means, that is, by
the committing of any sin ; for that is like Saul, 1 Sam.
xxviii. 7, to go to the witch, that is, to the Devil, for help.
Such courses do commonly deceive our hopes at the present,
and instead of delivering us out of our straits, plunge us in
greater, and those much more uncomfortable ones, because
then we want that which is the only support, God's favour
and aid, which we certainly forfeit when we thus seek to
rescue ourselves by any sinful means. But supposing we
could by such a way certainly free ourselves from the present
danger ; yet, alas, we are far from having gained safety by
it ; we have only removed the danger from that which was
less considerable, and brought it upon the most precious
part of us, our Souls ; like an unskilful physician, that to re-
move a pain from the finger strikes it to the heart ; we are,
therefore, grossly mistaken, when we think we have played
the good husband in saving our liberties or estates, our lives
themselves, by a sin ; we have not saved them, but madly
overbought them, laid out our very souls on them : and
Christ tells us how little we shall gain by such bargains,
SUNDAY I.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 53
Matt. xvi. 26, What is a man profited if he shall gain
the whole loorld and lose his own soul? Let us therefore
resolve never to value any thing we can possess in this
world at so high a rate, as to keep it at the price of the least
sin ; but, whenever things are driven to such an issue, that
we must either part with some, perhaps all, our worldly
possessions, nay, life itself, or else commit sin, let us then
remember, that this is the season for us to perform that great
and excellent duty of taking up the Cross, which we can
never so properly do as in this case ; for our bearing of that
which we have no possible way of avoiding can at most be
said to be but the carrying of the Cross ; but then only can
we be said to take it up, when, having a means of escaping
it by a sin, we rather choose to endure the Cross than com-
mit the sin ; for then it is not laid on us by any unavoidable
necessity, but we willingly choose it : and this is highly ac-
ceptable with God, yea, withal so strictly required by him,
that if we fail of performing it, when we are put to the trial,
we are not to be accounted followers of Christ ; for so him-
self hath expressly told us. Matt. xvi. 24, Jf any man luill
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross
and follow me; and so again, Mark viii. 34. It were
therefore, a good point of spiritual wisdom for us, sometimes
by some lower degrees of self-denial, to fit ourselves for this
greater, when we shall be called to it : we know he that
expects to run a race will beforehand be often breathing
himself, that he may not be foiled when he comes to run
for the prize ; in like manner, it will be fit for us, sometimes
to abridge ourselves somewhat of our lawful pleasure, or
ease, or profit, so that we may get such a mastery over
ourselves, as to be able to renounce all when our obedience
to God requires it.
53. And as we are thus to trust on God for deliverance
from danger, so are we likewise for supply
of our wants ; and those again are either ' wants
Spiritual or Temporal. Our Spiritual spiritual.
want is that of his Grace to enable us to serve him, with-
out which we can do nothing ; and for this we are to depend
on him, provided we neglect not the means, which are
Prayer and a careful using of what he hath already bestowed
on us : for then we have his promise for it, He will give fhe
holy Spirit to them that ask if, Luke xi. 13, and unto him
that hath shall be given, Matt. xxv. 29, that is, To him
5*
i4 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I,
that hath made a good use of that grace he hath already t
God will give more. We are not therefore to affright our-
selves with the difficulty of those things God requires of us,
but remember he commands nothing which he will not
enable us to perform, if we be not wanting to ourselves.
And therefore let us sincerely do our parts, and confidently
assure ourselves God will not fail of his.
54. But we have likewise Temporal and Bodily Wants,
and for the supply of them we are like-
wise to rely on him. And for this also we
want no promises, supposing us to be of the
number of them to whom they are made, that is, God's faithful
servants : They that fear the Lord lack nothing. Psalm xxxiv.
9. and ver. 10, They that seek the Lord shall want no manner
of thing that is good: again Psalm xxxiii. 18, 19, Behold the
eye of the Lord is upon thern that fear him, upon them, that
hope in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death, and to
feed them in time of famine. Examples also we have of
this, as we may see in the case of Elijah and the poor
Widow, 1 Kings xvii. And many others.
55. We are therefore to look up to him for the provision
of all things necessary for us, according to that of the
Psalmist, The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord, and thou
givest them their meat in due season. And our Saviour
hath taught us to pray for our daily bread ; thereby teach-
ing us that we are to live in continual dependence upon God
for it. Yet I mean not by this, that we should so expect it
from God, as to give up ourselves to idleness and expect to
be fed with miracles. No, our honest industry and labour
is the means by which God ordinarily gives us the neces-
saries of this life ; and therefore we must by no means
neglect that He that will not labour let him not eat, says
the Apostle, 2 Thess. iii. 10. And we may believe God
will pronounce the same sentence, and suffer the slothful
person to want even necessary food. But when we have
faithfully used our own endeavour, then we must also look
up to God for his blessing on it, without which it can never
prosper to us. And having done thus, we may comfortably
rest ourselves on his Providence for such a measure of these
outward things as he sees fittest for us.
56. But if our condition be such that we are not able to
labour, and have no other means of bringing in the necessa-
ries of life to ourselves, yet even then we are cheerfully to
SUNDAY I.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 55
rest upon God, believing that he who feeds the ravens will
by some means or other, though we knoM^ not what, provide
for us, so long as he pleases we shall continue in this world,
and never in any case torment ourselves with carking and
distrustful thoughts, but as the Apostle, I Pet. v. 7, cast all
your care on him who carethfor us.
57. This is earnestly pressed by our Saviour, Matt. vi.
where he abundantly shows the folly of this sin of distrust.
The place is a most excellent one, and therefore, I shall set
it down at large. Verse 25, Therefore, I say unto you, Take
no thought for your life what you shall eat, or what you
shall drink; neither for your body, what you shall put on;
is not the life more than rneat, and the body than raiment ?
Behold the folds of the air, for they soiv not, neither do
they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? Which
of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?
^nd why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies
of the field how they groiv, they toil not, neither do they
spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God
so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to-
morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little Faith ? Therefore take no thought, say-
ing, what shall we eat ? or what shcdl we drink ? or where-
withal shall we be clothed? {for after cdl these things do
the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knowcth that
ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the
Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these
things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought
for to-morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself ; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,
I might add many other texts to this purpose, but this is so
full and convincing, that I suppose it is needless.
58. All therefore that I shall say more concerning this
duty is to put you in mind of the great ^^^ benefits
Benefits of it. As first, that by this trust- ^^ _ _ ^^
^ J ' J *u- J I,- X OF trusting on
ing upon God, you engage and bmd him to
provide for you. Men, you know, think
themselves highly concerned not to fail those that depend
and trust upon them : and certainly God doth so much more.
But then secondly, there is a great deal of ease and quiet in
f)ractice of this duty : it delivers us from all those carkings
56 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I.
and immoderate cares which disquiet our minds, break
our sleep, and gnaw even our very heart. I doubt not but
those that have felt them need not be told they are uneasy.
But then methinks that uneasiness should make us forward
to embrace the means for the removing of them ; and so we
see it too often doth in unlawful ones ; men will cheat, and
steal, and lie, and do any thing to deliver themselves from
the fear of want : but alas ! they commonly prove but deceit-
ful remedies ; they bring God's curse on us, and so are more
likely to betray us to want, than to keep us from it. But
if you desire a certain and unfailing cure for cares, take this
of relying upon God.
59. For what should cause that man to fear want that
knows he hath one that cares for him, who is All-sufficient,
and will not suffer him to want what is fit for him ? If a
poor man had but a faithful promise from a wealthy person
that he would never suifer him to want, it is sure he would
be highly cheered with it, and would not then think fit to be
as carking as he was before : and yet a man's promise may
fail us ; he may either grow poor and not be able, or he may
prove false and not be willing, to make good his word. But
we know, God is subject neither to impoverishing nor deceit.
And therefore how vile an injury do we offer to him, if we
dare not trust as much upon his promise as we would that
of a man ! Yea, and how great a mischief do we do ourselves
by loading our minds with a multitude of vexatious and tor-
menting cares, when we may so securely cast our burden
upon God! I conclude this in the words of the Apostle,
Phil. iv. 6, Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your rc-
quests be made known to God,
SUNDAY II.
Of Humility, of Submission to God's Will in respect of Obedience ; of
Patience in all sorts of Sufferings, and of Honour due to God in several
ways, in his House, Possession, his Day, Word, Sacraments, &c.
A SIXTH Duty to God is Humility ; that is, such a sense
of our own meanness and his excellency, as
may work in us lowly and unfeigned sub- humility.
mission to him : this submission is twofold ; first, to his will,
secondly, to his wisdom.
2. The submission to his will is also of two sorts, the
submission either of Obedience or Patience ;
that of Obedience is our ready yielding s'^^mission to
ourselves up to do his will, so that when ^^" ® ^^^^ ^^
God hath by his command made known i^espect of
to us what his pleasure is, cheerfully and obedience.
readily to set about it. To enable us to this, humility is
exceedingly necessary ; for a proud person is of all others
the unaptest to obey, and we see men never pay an obedience
but where they acknowledge the person commanding to be
some way above them ; and so it is here. If we be not
thoroughly persuaded that God is infinitely above us, that
we are vileness and nothing in comparison of him, we shall
never pay our due obedience.
3. Therefore, if ever you mean to obey entirely (as you
must if ever you mean to be saved) get your hearts possess-
ed with the sense of that great unspeakable
distance that is between God and you. ^^^ ^^^^'^ ^^^'
Consider him as he is a God of infinite '^^^^^ between
majesty and glory ; and we poor worms of ^^^ ^^^ ^^'
the earth : he infinite in power, able to do all things ; and
we able to do nothing, not so much as to make one hair
white or black, as our Saviour speaks. Matt. v. ,36 : he of
infinite purity and holiness ; and we polluted and defiled,
wallowing in all kinds of sins and uncleanness : he unchange-
able and constant; and we subject to change and alteration
every minute of our lives : he eternal and immortal ; and we
frail mortals, that whenever he taketh away our breath we
die and are turned again to our dust. Psalm civ. 29.
Consider all this, I say, and you cannot but acknowledge a
57
58 OF PATIENCE. [sUNDAY II.
wide difference between God and man, and therefore may-
well cry out with Job, after he had approached so near to
God, as to discern somewhat of his excellency, Job xlii. 5,
6, Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes.
4. And even when this humility hath brought us to
obedience, it is not then to be cast off, as
THE UNWORTHI- -^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ -^ . ^^^ ^^^^^ j^
NESS OF OUR BEST ^^-^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ neccssity of it, to keep
WORKS. ^^g ^^^^^ ^^y 1^^^^ conceits of our perform-
ances, which if we once entertain, it will blast the best of them,
and make them utterly unacceptable to God ; like the strict-
ness of the Pharisee, which when once he came to boast of,
the Publican was preferred before him, Luke xviii. The
best of our works are so full of infirmity and pollution, that
if we compare them with that perfection and purity which
is in God, we may truly say with the Prophet, All our
righteousness are as filthy rags, Isaiah Ixiv. 6, and there-
fore to pride ourselves in them is the same madness that it
would be in a beggar to brag of his apparel, when it is no-
thing but vile rags and tatters. Our Saviour's precept in this
matter must always be remembered, Luke xvii. 10, When
you have done all those things which are commanded you,
say, We are unprofitable servants. If when we have done
all, we must give ourselves no better a title, what are we
then to esteem ourselves, that are so far from doing any
considerable part of what we are commanded ? Surely that
worser name of slothful and wicked servant, Matt. xxv. 26,
we have no reason to think too bad for us.
5. A second sort of submission to his will is that of
Patience ; this stands in suffering his will,
SUBMISSION IN ^g ^j^^^ ^^ obedience did in acting it, and is
RESPECT OF PA- ^^^^ gjg^ ^^^ ^ willing and quiet yield-
ing to whatever afflictions it pleases God to
lay upon us. This the forementioned humility will make
easy to us ; for when our hearts are thoroughly possessed
with that reverence and esteem of God, it will be impossible
for us to grudge or murmur at whatever he does. We see
an instance of it in old Eli, 1 Sam. iii., who after he had
heard the sad threatenings of God against him, of the destruc-
tion of his family, the loss of the priesthood, the cutting off
both his sons in one day, which were all of them afflictions
of the heaviest kind, yet this one consideration, that it was
SUNDAY II.] OF PATIENCE. 59
the Lord, enabled him calmly and quietly to yield to them ;
saying, Let him do what seemeth him good, verse 18.
The same effect it had on David, in his suffering, Psalm
xxxix. 9, I IV as dumb, I opened not my mouth, because
thou didst it. God's doing it silenced all murmurings and
grumblings in him. And so must it do in us, in all our
afflictions, if we will indeed approve our humility to God.
6. For surely you will not think that child hath due
humility to his parent, or that servant to his master, that
when they are corrected, shall fly in the father's or master's
face. But this do we whenever we grudge and repine at
that which God lays upon us. But besides the want of
humility in our so doing, there is also a great want of justice
in it ; for God hath, as we are his creatures, a right to do
with us what he will, and therefore for us to resist that
right of his, is the highest injustice that can be ; nay farther,
it is also the greatest folly in the world, for it is only our
good that God aims at in afflicting us ; that heavenly Father
is not like our earthly ones, who sometimes correct their
children only to satisfy their own angry humour, not to do
them good. But this is subject to no such frailties : He doth
not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam.
iii. 33. They are our sins, which do not only give him just
cause, but even force and necessitate him to punish us. He
carries to us the bowels and affections of the tenderest fa-
ther ; now when a father sees his child stubborn and rebellious,
and running on in a course that will certainly undo him,
what greater act of fatherly kindness can he do than chasten
and correct him ; to see if by that means he may amend him ?
Nay indeed he could not be said to have true kindness to
him if he should not. And thus it is with God, when he
sees us run on in sin : either he must leave off to love us,
and so leave us to ourselves to take our own course, and
that is the heaviest curse that can befall any man ; or else,
if he continue to love us, he must correct and punish us to
brinff us to amendment. Therefore when-
^ ^ . -l^ • 11 * THANKFULNESS
ever he strikes, we are m all reason, not ,
only patiently to lie under his rod, but (as ^ ^°^"
T \ 1 • •* 1 +1, * • u RECTIONS.
1 may say) kiss it also ; that is, be very
thankful to him, that he is pleased not to give us over to
our own hearVs lusts. Psalm Ixxxi. 12 ; but still continues
his care of us ; sends afflictions, as so many messengers to
call us home to himself. You see then how gross a folly it
60 OF PATIENCE. [sUNDAY 11.
is to murmur at those stripes which are meant so graciously ;
it is like that of a froward patient, which reproaches and re-
viles the physician that comes to cure him ; and if such a
one be left to die of his disease, every one knows whom he
is to thank for it.
7. But it is not only quietness, no nor thankfulness
neither under afflictions, that is the full of
our duty in this matter ; we must have
UNDER THEM. pj-yitMness also, or all the rest will stand
us in no stead. By fruitfulness I mean the bringing forth
that, which the afflictions were sent to work in us, viz. the
amendment of our lives. To which purpose in time of
affliction it is very necessary for us to call ourselves to an
account, to examine our hearts and lives, and search dili-
gently what sins lie upon us, which provoked God thus to
smite us, and whatsoever we find ourselves guilty of, humbly
to confess to God, and immediately to forsake for the rest of
our time.
8. All I shall add concerning this duty of patience, is,
that we are as much bound to it in one
IN ALL SORTS OF ^^^^ ^^ sufferings, as another ; whether our
SUFFERINGS. gufl-gj-ings be so immediately from God's
hand, that no creature hath any thing to do in it, as sickness,
or the like ; or whether it be such, wherein men are the in-
struments of afflicting us. For it is most sure when any
man doth us hurt, he could not do it without God's permis-
sion and sufferance, and God may as well make them the
instruments of punishing us, as do it more directly by him-
self ; and it is but a counterfeit patience, that pretends to
submit to God, and yet can bear nothing from men. We
see holy Job, who is set forth to us as a pattern of true
patience, made no such difference in his afflictions ; he took
the loss of his cattle, which the Chaldeans and Sabeans rob-
bed him of, with the very same meekness with which he
did that which was consumed by fire from heaven. When
therefore we suffer any thing from men, be it never so un-
justly in respect of them, we are yet to confess it is most
just in respect of God; and therefore instead of looking
upon them with rage and revenge, as the common custom of
the world is, we are to look up to God, acknowledge his
justice in the affliction, begging his pardon most earnestly
for those sins which have provoked him to send it, and
patiently and thankfully bear it till he shall see fit to remove
SUNDAY II.] OF PATIENCE. 61
it; still saying with Job, Blessed be the name of the
Lord.
9. But I told you Humility contained in it a submission
not only to his Will, but also to his AVis-
dom ; that is, to acknowledge him infinitely ',
wise, and therefore, that whatever he doth
is best and fittest to be done. And this we are to confess
both in his commands, and in his disposing and ordering of
things. First, whatsoever he commands us either to believe
or do, we are to submit to his wisdom in
both ; to believe whatsoever he bids us
believe, how impossible soever it seems to
our shallow understandings ; and to do whatever he com-
mands us to do, how contrary soever it be to our fleshy
reason or humour ; and in both to conclude, that his com-
mands are most fit and reasonable, however they appear
to us.
10. Secondly, we are to submit to his Wisdom in respect
of his Disposal and ordering of things ; to
• o _ D ' Tj^ HIS DISPO"
acknowledge he disposes all things most
wisely, and that not only in what concerns
the world in general, but also in what concerns every one of
us in particular ; so that in what condition soever he puts us,
we are to assure ourselves it is that which is best for us,
since he chooses it for us who cannot err. And therefore
never to have impatient desires of any thing in this world,
but to leave it to God to fit us with such an estate and con-
dition as he sees best for us, and there let us quietly and
contentedly rest ; yea, though it be such as of all others we
should least have wished for ourselves. And this surely
cannot but appear very reasonable to any that hath humility :
for that having taught him, that God is infinitely wise, and
he very foolish, he can never doubt but that it is much more
for his good that God should choose for him than he for
himself ; even as it is much more for the child's good to have
the parent choose for it, than to be left to those silly choices
it would make for itself. For how many times would it cut,
and burn, and mischief itself if it might have every thing it
desires ? And such children are we, we many times eagerly
desire those things which would undo us if we had them.
Thus many times we wish for wealth, and honour, and beauty,
and the like, when, if we had them, they would only prove
snares to us ; we should be drawn into sin by them. And
6
62 OF HONOURING GOD. [sUNDAY II.
this God, who knows all things, sees, though we do not, and
therefore often denies us those things which he sees will
tend to our mischief; and it is his abundant mercy that he
doth so. Let us therefore, whenever we are disappointed
of any of our aims and wishes, not only patiently but joy-
fully submit to it, as knowing that it is certainly best for us,
it being chosen by the unerring wisdom of our heavenly
Father.
11. A seventh Duty to God, is Honour; that is, the
paying him such a reverence and respect
HONOUR. ^g belongs to so great a Majesty. And
this is either inward or outward. The inward is the exalt-
ing him in our hearts, having always the highest and most
excellent esteem of him. The outward is the manifesting
and showing forth that inward ; and that is the first general
in the whole course of our lives, the living like men that do
indeed carry that high esteem of God. Now you know if
we bear any special Reverence but to a Man, we will be
careful not to do any foul or base thing in his presence ; and
so if we do indeed honour God, we shall abhor to do any
unworthy thing in his sight. But God sees all things, and
therefore there is no way to shun the doing it in his sight if
we do it at all ; therefore if we do thus reverence him, we
must never at any time do any sinful thing.
12. But besides this general way of honouring God, there
are many particular acts by which we may
SEVERAL WAYS , \^ , ^, -^ , ,. -^
honour him ; and these acts are divers,
according to the several particulars about
which they are exercised. For we are
to pay this honour not only immediately to himself, but also
by a due estimation and account of all those things that
nearly relate or belong to him. Those are especially six :
first, his House ; secondly, his Revenue or Income (as I
may say) ; thirdly, his Day ; fourthly, his Word ; fifthly, his
Sacraments ; and sixthly, his Name ; and every one of these
is to have some degree of our reverence and esteem.
13. First, his House; that is, the Church: which being
the place set apart for his public worship,
IN HIS HOUSE. * 1 1 -x .1, if . I. 1 •
we are to look on it, though not as holy m
respect of itself, yet in respect of its use, and therefore must
not profane it by employing it to uses of our own. This Christ
hath taught us by that act of his. Matt. xxi. 12, in driving
the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, saying. My house
SUNDAY II.] OF HONOURING GOD. 63
is called the house of Prayer : and again, John ii. 16, Make
not my Father'' s house a house of Merchandise. By which
it is clear, Churches are to be used only for the services of
God, and we are to make that the only end of our coming
thither, and not to come to Church as to a Market to
make bargains or despatch business with our neighbours,
as is too common among many. But whenever thou enter-
est the Church, remember that it is the House of God, a
place where he is in an especial manner present, and there-
fore take the counsel of the wise man, Eccles. v. 1, and
keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God ; that
is, behave thyself with that godly awe and reverence which
belongs to that great Majesty thou art before. Remember
that thy business there is to converse with God, and there-
fore shut out all thoughts of the world, even of thy most
lawful business, which, though they be allowable at another
time, are here sinful. How fearful a guilt is it then, to en-
tertain any such thoughts as are in themselves wicked ? It is
like the treason of Judas, who pretended indeed to come to
kiss his Master, but brought with him a band of soldiers to
apprehend him, Matt. xxvi. We make show, in our
coming to Church, of serving and worshipping God, but we
bring with us a train of his enemies to provoke and despite
him. This is a wickedness that may outvie the profaneness
of these days, in turning Churches into Stables ; for sinful
and polluted thoughts are much the worse sort of beasts.
14. The second thing to which respect belongs, is his
revenue or income ; that is, whatsoever is
1 • T • , , r *!, HIS POSSES-
his peculiar possessions, set apart lor the
maintenance of those that attend his service ;
those were the Priests in time of the Law, and Ministers of
the Gospel now with us. And whatever is thus set apart,
we must look on with such respect as not to dare to turn it
to any other use. Of this sort some are the free-will offer-
ings of men, who have sometimes of their own accord given
some of their goods or land to this holy use ; and whatsoever
is so given can neither by th« person that gave, nor any
other, be taken away, without that great sin of sacrilege.
15. But besides these, there was among the Jews, and hath
always been in all Christian nations, something allotted, by
the law of the nation, for the support and maintenance of
those that attend the service of God. And it is but just and
%4 OF HONOURING GOD. [sUNDAY II.
necessary it should be so, that those who by undertaking
that calling are taken off from the ways of gaining a liveli-
hood in the world, should be provided for by them whose
souls they watch over. And, therefore, it is most reasonable
which the Apostle urges in this matter, 1 Cor. ix. 11, If we
have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing
if we shall reap your carnal things ? That is, it is most rea-
sonable for men to grudge the bestowing a few carnal things,
the outward necessaries of this temporal life, on them from
whom they receive spiritual things, even instruction and
assistance towards the obtaining of an eternal life.
16. Now whatsoever is thus appointed for this use, may
by no means be employed to any other.
THE GREAT SIN ^^^^^ therefore, those tithes which are here
OF SACRILEGE. ^^ j^^ allotted for the maintenance of the
ministry, must by no means be kept back, nor any tricks or
shifts used to avoid the payment either in whole or in part.
For first, it is certain, that it is as truly theft as any other
robbery can be, ministers having right to their tithes by the
same law which gives any other man right to his estate.
But then secondly, it is another manner of robbery than we
think of, it is a robbing of God, whose service they were
given to maintain ; and that you may not doubt the truth of
this, it is no more than God himself hath said of it, Mal. iii.
8. Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me; yet ye
say, Wherein have we robbed thee ? In tithes and offer-
ings. Here it is most plain that in God's account the with-
holding tithes is a robbing of him. And if you please, you
may in the next verse see what the gain of this robbery
amounts to. Ye are cursed with a curse. A curse is all is
gotten by it ; and common experience shows us, that God's
vengeance doth in a remarkable manner pursue this sin of
sacrilege, whether it be that of withholding tithes, or the other
of seizing on those possessions which have been voluntarily
consecrated to God. Men think to enrich
themselves by it, but it usually proves di-
rectly contrary ; this unlawful gain becomes
such a canker in the estate, as often eats out even that we
had a just title to. And therefore, if you love (I will not
say your souls, but) your estates, preserve them from that
danger by a strict care never to meddle with any thing set
apart for God.
SUNDAY II.] OF THE LORD's DAY. 65
17. A third thing wherein we are to express our reverence
to God, is the hallowing of the Times set
apart for his Service. He who hath given "^"^ '^^^^^ ^^^
all our time requires some part of it to be
paid back again, as a rent or tribute of the whole. Thus
the Jews kept holy the seventh day, and we Christians the
Sunday or Lord's day : the Jews were in their Sabbath
especially to remember the creation of the world, and -we in
ours, the Resurrection of Christ by which ,
a way is made for us into that better world ^^^ ^ ^^^*
we expect hereafter. Now this day thus set apart is to be
employed in the AVorship and Service of God, and that first
more solemnly and publicly in the Congregation, from which
no man must then absent himself without a just cause: and
secondly, privately at home, in praying with and instructing
our families, or else in the yet more private duties of the
closet; a man's own private prayers, reading, meditation,
and the like.
And that we may be at leisure for these, a rest from all
worldly business is commanded ; therefore let no man think
that a bare rest from labour is all that is required of him on
the Lord's day, but the time which he saves from the works
of his calling, he is to lay out on those spiritual duties. For
the Lord's day was never ordained to give us a pretence for
idleness, but only to change our employment from worldly
to heavenly ; much less was it meant that by our rest from
our callings, we should have more time free to bestow upon
our sins, as too many do, who are more constant on that day
at the Ale-house than the Church. But this rest was com-
manded, first, to shadow out to us that rest from sin which
we are bound to all the days of our lives. And secondly,
to take us off from our worldly business, and to give us
time to attend the service of God, and the need of our souls.
18. And surely, if we rightly consider it, it is a very great
benefit to us, that there is such a set time thus weekly
returning for that purpose. We are very intent and busy
upon the world ; and if there Avere not some such time ap-
pointed to our hands, it is to be doubted we should hardly
allot any ourselves : and then what a starved condition must
these poor souls of ours be in, that shall never be afforded a
meal ? Whereas now, there is a constant diet provided for
them : every Sunday, if we will conscionably employ it, may
be a festival day to them, may bring them in such spiritual
6*
66 FEASTS OF THE CHURCH. [sUNDAY n.
food as may nourish them to eternal life. We are not to
look on this day with grudging, like those in Amos viii. 5,
who ask, TVhen will the Sabbath be gone, that we may set
forth wheat? as if that time were utterly lost, which were
taken from our worldly business. But we are to consider
it as the gainfullest, as the joyfullest day of the week, a day
of harvest, wherein we are to lay up in store for the whole
week, nay, for our whole lives.
19. But besides this of the weekly Lord's day, there are
other times which the Church hath set
THE FEASTS OF ^p^^.^ ^^^ ^^le remembrance of some special
THE CHURCH, ^^^^.^-gg ^f God, such as the Birth and
Resurrection of Christ, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, and
the like ; and these days we are to keep in that manner
which the Church hath ordained, to wit in the solemn
worship of God, and in particular thanksgiving for that
special blessing we then remember. And surely, whoever
is truly thankful for those rich mercies cannot think it too
much to set apart some few days in a year for that purpose.
But then we are to look that our Feasts be truly spiritual,
by employing the day thus holily, and not make it an occa-
sion of intemperance and disorder, as too many, who consider
nothing in Christmas and other good times, but the good
cheer and jollity of them. For that is doing despite instead
of honour to Christ, who came to bring all purity and sober-
ness into the world, and, therefore, must not have that coming
of his remembered in any other manner.
20. Other days there are also set apart in memory of the
Apostles, and other Saints, wherein we are to give hearty
thanks to God for his graces in them ; particularly that they
were made instruments of revealing to us Christ Jesus, and
the way of salvation, as you know the Apostles were by
their preaching throughout the world. And then farther we
are to meditate on those examples of holy life they have
given us, and stir up ourselves to the imitation thereof. And
whosoever does uprightly set himself to make these uses of
these several Holy-days will have cause, by the benefit he
shall find from them, to thank, and not to blame, the Church
for ordering them.
21. Another sort of days there are, which we are like-
wise to observe, and those are days of Fast-
ing and Humiliation ; and whatever of this
kind the Church enjoins, whether constantly at set times of
SUNDAY II.] THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. @7
the year, or upon any special and more sudden occasion, we
are to observe in such manner as she directs ; that is, not
only a bare abstaining from meat, which is only the body's
punishment; but in afflicting our souls, humbling them deeply
before God, in a hearty confessing and bewailing of our own
and the nation's sins, and earnest prayer for God's pardon
and forgiveness, and for the turning away of those judg-
ments, which those sins have called for : but above all, in
turning ourselves from our sins, loosing the bands of
wickedness, as Isaiah speaks, Chap. Iviii. 6 ; and exercising
ourselves in works of mercy, dealing our bread to the hungry,
and the like, as it there follows.
23. Fourthly, we are to express our reverence to God,
by honouring his Word ; and this we must ,
certainly do if we do indeed honour him, ^ word.
there being no surer sign of our despising any person than
the setting light by what he says to us ; as on the contrary,
if we value one, every word he speaks will be of weight
with us. Now this Word of God is expressly contained in
the holy Scriptures, the Old and New Tes-
TTT"P TTOT V 9PPTP—
tament, where he speaks to us, to show us
his Will and our duty. And therefore to tures.
this Word of his we are to bear a wonderful respect, to look
upon it as the rule by which we must frame all the actions
of our life ; and to that end to study it much, to read in it
as often as we can ; if it may be, never to let a day pass us
without reading or hearing some part of it read.
23. But then that is not all : we must not only read, but
we must mark what we read ; we must diligently observe
what Duties there are which God commands us to perform,
what faults they are which God there charges us not to
commit; together with the rewards promised to the one, and
the punishment threatened to the other. When we have
thus marked, we must lay them up in our memory ; not so
loosely and carelessly that they shall presently drop out
again ; but we must so fasten them there by often thinking
and meditating on them, that we may have them ready
for our use. Now that use is the directing of our lives ;
and, therefore, whenever we are tempted to the committing
of evil, we are then to call to mind, this is the thing which
in such a Scripture is forbidden by God, and all his ven-
geances threatened against it ; and so in like manner, when
any opportunity is offered us of doing good, to remember,
68 CATECHIZING. [sUNDAY II.
this is the duty which I was exhorted to in such a Scripture,
and such glorious rewards promised to the doing of it : and
by these considerations strengthen ourselves for resistance of
the evil and performance of the good.
24. But besides this of the written Word, it hath pleased
God to provide yet farther for our instruction by his Minis-
ters, whose office it is to teach us God's Will, not by say-
ing any thing contrary to the written Word (for whatsoever
is so can never be God's Will,) but by explaining it, and
making it easier to our understandings, and then applying
it to our particular occasions, and exhorting and stirring us
up to the practice of it ; all which is the end at which first
their catechizing and then their preaching aimeth. And to
this we are to bear also a due respect by giving diligent heed
thereto, not only being present at catechizing and sermons,
and either sleep out the time or think of somewhat else, but
carefully marking what is said to us ; and surely, if we did
but rightly consider how much it concerns us, we should
conclude it very reasonable for us to do so.
25. For first, as to that of Catechizing, it is the laying the
foundation upon which all Christian prac-
CATECHiziNG. ^-^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^.j^ . ^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^ teaching
us our duty, without which it is impossible for us to perform
it. And though it is true that the Scriptures are the foun-
tains, from whence this knowledge of duty must be fetched,
yet there are many who are not able to draw it from this
Fountain themselves, and therefore it is absolutely necessary
it should be thus brought to them by others.
26. This catechizing is generally looked upon as a thing
belonging only to the youth ; and so indeed it ought, not
because the oldest are not to learn, if they be ignorant, but
because all children should be so instructed, that it should
be impossible for them to be ignorant when they come to
years. And it nearly concerns every parent, as they will
free themselves from the guilt of their children's eternal
undoing, that they be careful to see them instructed in all
necessary things ; to which purpose, it will be fit early to
teach them some short Catechism, of which sort none so fit
as the Church Catechism ; yet are they not to rest on these
endeavours of their own, but also to call in the Minister's
help, that he may build them up farther in Christian know-
ledge.
27. But, alas ! it is too sure that Parents have very much
SUNDAY Il/J . PREACHING. 69
neglected this Duty, and by that means it is that such multi-
tudes of men and women that are call Christians, know no
more of Christ, or any thing that concerns their own Souls,
than the merest Heathen.
28. But although it were their Parents' fault that they
were not instructed when they were young, yet it is now
their own, if they remain still ignorant ; and it is sure it
will be their own ruin and misery if they wilfully continue
so. Therefore whoever it be, of what age or condition
soever, that is in this ignorant estate, or in any such degree
of it that he wants any part of necessary knowledge, let
him as he loves his soul, as ever he would escape eternal
damnation, seek out for instruction, and let no fear of shame
keep any from it ; for, first, it is certain the shame belongs
only to the wilful continuing in ignorance, to which the
desire of learning is directly contrary, and is so far from a
shameful, that it is a most commendable thing, and will be
sure to be so accounted by all wise and good men. But
secondly, suppose some profane, senseless people should
deride it, yet sure that shame were in all reason to be under-
gone joyfully, rather than venture on that confusion of face
which will at the day of Judgment befall those who, to
avoid a little false shame amongst them, have gone on in a
wilful ignorance of their duty, which ignorance will be so
far from excusing any sins they shall commit, that, it adds
one great and heavy sin to all the rest, even the despising
that knowledge which is offered to them. How heinous a
sin that is, you may learn in the first Chapter of the Pro-
verbs, where hating knoivledge, verse 29, is said to be the
thing that draws down those sad vengeances forementioned,
even God's forsaking men, laughing at their calamity instead
of helping them : which is of all other conditions in the
world the most miserable ; and surely they are madly des-
perate that will run themselves into it.
29. As for those who have already this foundation laid by
the knowledge of the grounds of Christian Religion, there
is yet for them a farther help provided by
u- A ^ •+ • 4i A PREACHING.
preachmg. And it is no more than needs,
for God knows, those that understand their duty Avell enough
are too apt to forget it ; nay, sometimes by the violence of
their own lusts to transgress it even when they do remember
it ; and, therefore, it is very useful we should be put in mind
of it to prevent our forgetting, and also often exhorted and
70 PREACHIxNG. ^ [SUNDAY II.
assisted to withstand thos(3 lusts which draw us to those
transgressions. And to these purposes preaching is intended,
first, to warn us to be upon our guard against our spiritual
enemy, and then to furnish us with weapons for the fight ;
that is, such means and helps as may best enable us to beat
off temptations and get the victory over them.
30. Since, therefore, this is the end of Preaching, we must
not think we have done our duty, when we have heard a
sermon, though never so attentively, but we must lay up in
our hearts those instructions and advices we there meet
with, and use them faithfully to that end of overcoming our
sins. Therefore, whenever thou comest to the Physician
of the Soul, do as thou wouldst Mdth the Physician of thy
Body ; thou comest to him not only to hear him talk and
tell thee what will cure thee, but also to do according to his
directions : and if thou dost not so here, thou art as vain as
he that expects a bare receipt from his doctor shall cure him,
though he never make use of it. Nay, thou art much more
vain and ridiculous ; for that, though it will do him good,
it will do him no harm ; he shall never be the Avorse for
having been taught a medicine, though he use it not : but in
these spiritual receipts it is otherwise ; if we use them not
to our good, they will do us a great deal of harm, they will
rise up in judgment against us, and make our condemnation
so much the heavier. Beware, therefore, not to bring that
danger upon thyself; but when thou hast heard a Sermon,
consider with thyself what directions there were in it for
enabling thee to eschew evil, or to do good. And if there
were any thing especially concerned thine own bosom sin,
lay that close to thy heart, and all the week after make it
matter of meditation: think of it even whilst thou art at
thy work, if thou wantest other time ! and not only think
of it, but set to the practice of it, do what thou wert advised
to, for the subduing sins, and quickening grace to thee.
Finally, look carefully to practice the counsel of the Apostle,
James i. 22. Be ye doers of the Word, not hearers only,
deceiving your oivn soids. To hope for good from the
Word without doing it, is, it seems, nothing but a deceiving
ourselves : let us never, therefore, measure our godliness by
the number of Sermons which w^e hear, as if the hearing
many were the certain mark of a good Christian ; but by
the store of fruit we bring forth by them, without which all
our hearing will serve but to bring us into that heavier por-
SUNDAY 11.] THE SACRAMENTS. 71
tion of stripes, which belongs to him that knows his Mas-
ter's will, and doeth it 7iot, Luke xii. 47. But this reve-
rence which is due to preaching we must not pay to all that
is now-a-days called so, for God knows there are many
false Prophets gone out into the world, as the Apostle
speaks, 1 John iv. 1. And now, if ever, is that advice of
his necessary, To try the spirits whether they be of God.
But what I have said I mean only of the preaching of those
who first have a lawful calling to the office ; and secondly,
frame their doctrine according to the right rule, the written
Word of God. But if any man say, he is not able to judge
whether the doctrine be according to the Word or no, let
him at least try it by the common known rules of duty
which he doth understand, and if he find it a doctrine giving
men liberty to commit those things which are by all acknow-
ledged sins, such as rebellion, injustice, unmercifulness, un-
cleanness, or the like, he may conclude it is utterly contrary
to God and his Word, and then abhorrence, and not reve-
rence, belongs to it.
31. Fifthly, we are to express our honouring of God by
reverencing his Sacraments ; those are two,
Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. —
And this we do, first, by our high esteem
of them : secondly, by our reverent usage of them : we are
first to prize them at a high rate, looking on them as the
instruments of bringing to us the greatest blessings we can
receive. The first of them. Baptism, that enters us into
covenant with God, makes us members of Christ, and so
gives us right to all those precious benefits that flow from
him, to wit, pardon of sins, sanctifying grace, and heaven
itself, upon condition Ave perform our parts of the covenant.
And as for the Lord's Supper, that is not only a sign and
remembrance of Christ and his Death ; but it is actually the
giving Christ, and all the fruits of his death, to every worthy
receiver ; and, therefore, there is a most high estimation and
value due to each of them.
32. And not only so ; but in the second place we must
show our reverence in our usage of them ;
and that first. Before ; secondly, At ; thirdly, °^ baptism.
After the time of receiving them. It is true that the Sacra-
ment of Baptism being now administered to us, when we
are Infants, it is not to be expected of us, that we should in
our own persons do any thing, either before or at the time
ft THE VOW OF BAPTISM. [sUNDAY II.
of receiving it ; those performances were strictly required
of all persons who were baptized when they were of years.
But for us, it suffices to give us this right to Baptism, that
we are born within the pale of the Church, that is, of Chris-
tian parents : and all that is required at that time is, what
we can only perform by others, they in our stead promising
that when we come to years we will perform our parts of
the Covenant. But by how much the less we are then able
to do so much, the greater bond lies on us to perform those
after-duties required of us, by which we are to supply the
want of the former.
33. Now if you would know what those duties are, look
over those promises which your God-
fathers and Godmothers then made in your
name, and you may then learn them. I
cannot give you them in a better form than that of our
Church's Catechism, which tells us. That our Godfathers
and Godmothers did promise and vow three things in our
names ; first, that we should forsake the Devil and all his
ivorks, and pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and
all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Where, by the Devil, is
meant, jEirst, the worshipping of all false gods, which is in-
deed but worshipping the Devil. A sin, which at the time
of Christ's coming into the world was very common, most
part of mankind then living in that vile idolatry. And there-
fore when Baptism was first ordained, it was but needful to
make the forsaking of those false gods a principal part of the
vow. And though those false worships are now much rarer,
yet there was one special part of them, which may be
feared to be yet too common among us, and that is all sorts
of uncleanness, which though we do not make ceremonies
of our religion, as the Heathens did of theirs, yet the com-
mitting thereof is a most high provocation in God's eyes,
such as drew him to destroy whole cities ivith fire and
brimstone-, as you may read. Gen. xix. nay, the whole
ivorld ivith water, Gen. vi. and will not fail to bring down
judgments, and strange ones, on any that continue therein ;
and therefore the forsaking them well deserves to be looked
on as an especial part of this promise. Besides this, all
dealing with the Devil is here vowed against, whether it be
by practising witchcraft ourselves, or consulting with those
that do, upon any occasion whatever, as the recovery of our
health, our goods, or whatever else ; for this is a degree of
SUNDAY II.] THE VOW OF BAPTISM. 73
the former sin, it is the forsaking of the Lord, and setting
up the Devil for our God, whilst we go to him in our needs
for help.
34. But we also renounce all the works of the Devil ; and
those are either in general all those that the Devil tempts us
to, or else those particular kinds of sin which have most of
his image on them ; that is, those which he himself most
practises, such are pride (which brought him from being an
Angel of light to the accursed condition he is now in) and
lying ; he is, as our Saviour saith, John viii. 44, Ji liar^
and the father of it ; and such also are malice and envy,
especially killing and destroying of others, for he was a
raurderer from the beginning, John viii. 44. But above
all, there is nothing wherein we become so like him, as in.
tempting and drawing others to sin, which is his whole
trade and business ; and if we make it any part of ours, we
become like that roaring lion, that goes about seeking
whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8.
35. The second thing we vow to forsake, is the pomps
and vanities of this wicked world. By the pomps and
vanities there are several things meant ; some of them such
as were used by the Heathens in some unlawful sports of
theirs, wherein we are not now so much concerned, there
being none of them remaining among us ; but besides that,
there is meant all excess, either in diet, or sports, or apparel,
when we keep not those due measures, which either by the
general rules of sobriety, or the particular circumstances of
our qualities and callings, we are bound to. Next, by the
wicked world, we may understand, first, the wealth and
greatness of the world, which though we do not so totally
renounce, that it is unlawful for a Christian to be either rich
or great, yet we thus far promise to forsake them, that we
will not set our hearts upon them, nor either get or keep
them by the least unlawful means. Secondly, by the wick-
ed world, we may understand, the companies and customs
of the world, which, so far as they are wicked, we here
renounce ; that is, we promise never to be drawn by company
to the commission of a sin, but rather to forsake the most
delightful company than to be ensnared by it : nor yet by
custom ; but rather venture the shame of being thought sin-
gular, ridiculous persons, walk as it were in a path by our-
selves, than put ourselves into that broad way that leads to
destruction, by giving ourselves over to any sinful custom
7
74 THE VOW OF BAPTISM. ^SUNDAY II.
how common soever it be grown. If this part of our Vow
were but thoroughly considered, it would arm us against
most of the temptations the world offers, company and cus-
tom being the two special instruments by which it works
on us.
36. A third thing we renounce, is all the sinful lusts of
the flesh ; where the flesh is to be understood in that sense
wherein the Scripture often uses it, for the fountain of all
disordered affections. For though those unclean desires
which we ordinarily call the lusts of the flesh are here
meant, yet they are not the only things here contained, there
being divers other things which the Scripture calls the works
of the flesh. I cannot better inform you of them than by
setting down the list St Paul gives of them. Gal. v 19, 20,
21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these, adultery, fornication, imcleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, ivitchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like. This with those other descrip-
tions, you will find scattered in several places of Scripture,
will show you there are many things contained in this part
of your Vow, the forsaking all the sinful lusts of the flesh.
37. The second thing our Godfathers and Godmothers
promised for us, was, that loe should believe all the Articles
of the Christian Faith. These we have summed up to-
gether in that which we call the Apostles' Creed, which
since we promise to believe, we are supposed also to promise
to learn them, and that not only the words, but likewise the
plain sense of them ; for who can believe what he either
never heard of, or knows not any thing of the meaning of it ?
Now by this believing is meant not only the consenting to
the truth of them, but also the living like them that do be-
lieve : as, for example, our believing that God created us
should make us live in that subjection and obedience to him,
which becomes creatures to their Creator ; the believing
that Christ redeemed us should make us yield up ourselves
to him as his purchase, to be disposed wholly by him, and
employed only in his service ; the believing a judgment to
come should give us care so to walk that we may not be
condemned in it ; and our believing the life everlasting should
make us dihgent so to employ our short moment of time
here, that our everlasting life may be a life of joy, not of
misery to us. In this manner from all the articles of the
SUNDAY II.] THE VOW OF BAPTISM. 75
Creed, we are to draw motives to confirm us in all Christian
practice, to which end it is that our learning and believing
of them tends, and therefore without it we are very far from
making good this part of our Vow, the believing all the
Articles of the Christian Faith.
38. The last part of our Vow is, that we should keep
GocVs holy ivill and CoimnandmentSy and lualk in the same
all the days of our lives. Where by our keeping God's
holy loill and Commandments, is meant our doing of all
those things which he hath made known to us to be his will
we should perform ; wherein he hath given us his holy
Word to instruct us, and teach us, what it is that he requires
of us ; and now he expects that we should faithfully do it
without favouring ourselves in the breach of any one of his
commands. And then in this entire obedience we must walk
all the days of our lives: that is, we must go on in a con-
stant course of obeying God; not only fetch some steps
in his way, but walk in them ; and that not for some part
of our time, but all the days of our lives, never turn out
of them, but go on constantly in them, as long as we live in
this world.
39. Having now thus briefly explained to you this Vow
made at your Baptism, all I shall add con-
cernmff it, is only to remember you how
nearly you are concerned in the keepinor
J. O "VOW C\'\? "R A V
it: and that first, in respect of justice;
secondly, in respect of advantage and bene- tism.
fit. That you are in justice bound to it, I need say no more
but that it is a promise, and you know justice requires of
every man the keeping of hi§ promise. But then this is of
all other promises the most solemn and binding, for it is a
Vow, that is, a promise made to God ; and, therefore, we
are not only unjust, but foresworn, whenever we break any
part of it.
40. But secondly, we are highly concerned to keep it, in
respect of our own benefit. I told you before, that Baptism
entered us into a Covenant with God ; now a Covenant is
made up of two parts, that is, something promised by the
one party, and something by the other of the parties that
make the Covenant. And if one of them break his part of
the Covenant, that is, perform not what he hath agreed to,
he can in no reason look that the other should make good
his. And so it is here, God doth indeed promise those
76 THE VOW OF BAPTISM. [sUNDAY II.
benefits before mentioned, and that is his part of the Cove-
nant. But then we also undertake to perform the several
things contained in this Vow of Baptism, and that is our part
of it; and unless we do indeed perform them, God is not
tied to make good his, and so we forfeit all those precious
benefits and advantages, we are left in that natural and mise-
rable estate of ours, children of ivrath, enemies to God^
and heirs of eternal damnation. And now what can be
the pleasure that any or all sins can afibrd us, that can make
us the least degree of recompense for such a loss, the loss
of God's favour and grace here, and the loss of our own
souls hereafter ? For as our Saviour saith, Mark viii. 36,
What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole ivorld and
lose his own soul? Yet this mad bargain we make when-
ever we break any part of this our Vow of Baptism. It,
therefore, most nearly concerns us to consider sadly of it,
to remember that every sin we commit is a direct breach of
this our Vow ; and, therefore, when thou art tempted to any
sin, seem it never so lightly, say not of it as Lot did of
Zoar, Gen. xix. 20, Is it not a little one ? But consider
that whatever it is, that thou hast in thy Baptism vowed
against it ; and then, be it never so little, it draws a great one
at the heels of it, no less than that of being foresworn, which
whoever commits, God hath in the third Commandment
pronounced. He will not hold hitn guiltless. And that we
may the better keep this Vow, it will be very useful often to
repeat to ourselves the several branches of it, that so we
may still have it ready in our minds to set against all tempta-
tions ; and surely it is so excellent a weapon, that if we do
not either cast it aside, or use it very negligently, it will
enable us, by God's help, to put to flight our spiritual adver-
sary. And this is that reverence we are to pay to this first
Sacrament, that of Baptism.
SUNDAY III.
Of the Sagrament of the Lord's Supper. Of Preparation before, as Ex-
amination; Of Repentance, Faith, Obedience, of Duties to be done at
the Receiving and afterwards, &c.
Now follows the reverence due to the Sacrament of the
Lord's Supper ; and in this I must follow my first division,
and set down, first, what is to be done ,
before ; secondly, at ; and, thirdly, after the
time of receiving ; for in this Sacrament we
cannot be excused from any one of these, though in the
former we are.
2. And first, for that which is to be done before, St. Paul
tells us, it is Examination, 1 Cor. xi. 28,
T> . 1 I • T II? J THINGS TO BE
But let a man examine htmselj, and so
let him eat of that bread and drink of that ^^^^ before
T) i 1 r T J 4 *!, .• RECEIVING.
cup. But before I proceed to the particu-
lars of this Examination, I must in the general tell you, that
the special business we have to do in this
c^ ^ • ^ .A ^u 4 EXAMINATION.
Sacrament, is to repeat and renew that
Covenant we made with God in our Baptism, which we
having many ways grievously broken, it pleases God, in
his great mercy, to suffer us to come to the renewing of it
in this Sacrament, which, if we do in sincerity of heart, he
hath promised to accept us, and give us all those benefits
in this, which he was ready to bestow in the other Sacra-
ment, if we had not by our own fault forfeited them. Since
then, the renewing of our Covenant is our business at this
time, it follows that these three things are necessary towards
it : first, that we understand what the Covenant is ; secondly,
that we consider what our breaches of it have been ; and
thirdly, that we resolve upon a strict observance of it, for
the rest of our life. And the trying ourselves in every one
of these particulars, is that examination which is required
of us before we come to this Sacrament.
3. And first, we are to examine whether we understand
what this Covenant is : this is exceeding necessary, as being
the foundation of both the other ; for it is neither possible
to discover our past sins, nor to settle purposes against them
for the future, without it. Let this therefore, be your first
7* 77
78 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III.
business : Try whether you rig-htly understand what that
Covenant is, which you entered into at your Baptism, what
be the Mercies promised on God's part, and the Duties on
yours. And, because the Covenant made with each of us
in Baptism is only the applying to our particulars the Cove-
nant made by God in Christ with all mankind m general,
you are to consider whether you understand that ; if you do
not, you must immediately seek for instruction in it. And
till we have means of gaining better, look over what is briefly
said in the instance to this Treatise, concerning the Second
Covenant, which is the foundation of that Covenant which
God makes with us in our Baptism. And because you will
there find, that obedience to all God's commands is the con-
dition required of us, and is also that which we expressly
vow in our Baptism, it is necessary you should likewise
know what those commands of God are. Therefore, if you
find you are ignorant of them, never be at rest till you have
got yourself instructed in them, and have gained such a
measure of knowledge as may direct you to do that Whole
Duty of Man which God requires. And the giving thee
this instruction is the only aim of this Book, which, the
more ignorant thou art, the more earnestly I shall intreat
thee diligently to read. And if thou hast hitherto approached
to this Holy Sacrament in utter ignorance of these necessary
things, bewail thy sin in so doing, but presume not to come
again, till thou hast, by gaining this necessary knowledge,
fitted thyself for it, which thou must hasten to do. For
though no man must come to the Sacrament in such igno-
rance, yet if he wilfully continue in it, that will be no excuse
to him for keeping from this Holy Table.
4. The second part of our examination is concerning our
breaches of this Covenant ; and here thou wilt find the use
of that knowledge I spake of. For there is no way of dis-
covering what our sins have been, but by
trying our actions by that which should be
the rule of them, the Law of God. When, therefore, thou
settest to this part of examination, remember wtiat are the
several branches of thv duty, and then
SEVERAL SORTS. . ^, i, . • ' r ^ -u
ask thy own heart in every particular, how
thou hast performed it. And content not thyself with know-
ing in general, that thou hast broken God's law, but do thy
utmost to discover in what particulars thou hast done so.
Recall, as well as thou canst, all the passages of thy life,
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 79
and in each of them consider what part of that duty hath
been transgressed by it. And that not only in the grosser
act, but in word also ; nay, even in thy most secret thoughts :
for though man's law reaches not to them, yet God's doth ;
so that whatever he forbids in the act, he forbids likewise in
the thoughts and desires, and sees them as clearly as our
most public acts. This particular search is exceeding neces-
sary : for there is no promise of forgiveness of any sin but
only to him that confesseth and forsaketh it. Now to both
these it is necessary that we have a direct and particular
knowledge of our sins. For how can he either confess his
sin, that knows not his guilt of it ? or how can he resolve to
forsake it, that discerns not himself to have formerly cleaved
to it ? Therefore, we may surely conclude, that this exami-
nation is not only useful, but necessary towards a full and
complete repentance ; for he that does not take this particular
view of his sins, will be likely to repent but by halves, which
will never avail him towards his pardon; nothing but an
entire forsaking of every evil way being sufficient for that.
But surely of all other times it concerns us, that when we
come to the Sacrament our repentance be full and complete ;
and, therefore, this strict search of our own hearts is then
especially necessary. For, although it be true, that it is not
possible by all our diligence to discover or remember every
sin of our whole lives, and, though it be also true, that what
is so unavoidably hid from us, may be forgiven without any
more particular confession than that of David, Psalm xix.
12, Cleanse thou me from my secret faults: yet this will
be no plea for us, if they come to be secret only, because we
are negligent in searching. Therefore take heed of deceiving
thyself in this weighty business, but search thy soul to the
bottom, without which it is impossible that the wounds
thereof should ever be thoroughly cured.
5. And as you are to inquire thus narrowly concerning
the several sorts of sins, so also must you concerning the
degrees of them, for there are divers circumstances which
increase and heighten the sin. Of this sort there are many;
as first, when w^e sin against knowledge ; that is, when we
certainly know such a thing to be a sin, yet for the present
pleasure or profit (or whatever other motive) adventure on it.
This is by Christ himself adjudged to be a great heightening
of the sin. He that knows his Master'* s will and doth it
not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luke xii. 47. Se-
'8® OF THE lord's supper. [sunday III.
condly, when we sin with deUberation ; that is, when we
do not fall into it of a sudden, ere we are aware, but have
time to consider of it, this is another degree of the sin. But
thirdly, a yet higher is, when we do it against the resistances
and checks of our own conscience, when that at the time
tells us, this thing thou oughtest not to do : nay, lays
before us the danger as well as the sin of it, yet in spite of
these admonitions of conscience, we go on and commit the
sin ; this is a huge increase of it, such as will raise the least
sin into a most high provocation. For it is plain, a sin thus
committed must be a wilful one, and then, be the matter of
it never so light, it is most heinous in God's eyes. Nay,
this is a circumstance of such force, that it may make an
indifferent action, that is in itself no sin, become one. For
though my conscience should err in telling me such a thing
were unlawful, yet so long as I were so persuaded, it were
sin for me to do that thing ; for in that case, my will consists
to the doing a thing which I believe to be displeasing to God,
and God (who judges us by our wills, not understandings,)
imputes it to me as a sin, as well as if the thing were in itself
unlawful. And, therefore, surely we may conclude, that any
thing which is in itself sinful is made much more so by
being committed against the checks of conscience. A fourth
aggravation of a sin is when it hath been often repeated, for
then there is not only the guilt of so many more acts, but
every act grows also so much worse, and more inexcusable.
We always judge thus in faults committed against ourselves :
we can forgive a single injury more easily than the same
when it hath been repeated, and the oftener it hath been so
repeated, the more heinous we account it. And so surely it
is in faults against God also. Fifthly, the sins which have
been committed after vows and resolutions of amendment
are yet more grievous ; for that contains also the breaking of
those promises. Somewhat of this there is in every wilful
sin, because every such is a breach of that vow we make at
Baptism. But besides that, we have since bound ourselves
by new vows, if at no other time, yet surely at our coming
to the Lord's Supper, that being (as was formerly said) pur-
posely to repeat our vows of Baptism. And the more of
these vows we have made, so much the greater is our guilt,
if we fall back to any sin we then renounced. This is a
thing very well worth weighing ; and, therefore, examine
thyself particularly at thy approach to the Sacrament con-
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 81
cerning thy breaches of former vows made at the Holy
Table. And if upon any other occasion, as sickness, trouble
of mind, or the like, thou hast at any time made any other,
call thyself to a strict account how thou hast performed them
also, and remember, that every sin committed against such
vows is, besides its own natural guilt, a Perjury likewise.
Sixthly, a yet higher step is, when a sin hath been so often
committed, that we are come to a custom and habit of it :
and that is indeed a high degree.
6. Yet even of Habits some are worse than others ;- as
first, if it be so confirmed that we are come to a hardness of
heart, have no sense at all of the sin : or, secondly, if we go
on in it against any extraordinary means used by God to
reform us, such as sickness, or any other afiliction which
seems to be sent on purpose for our reclaiming. Or, thirdly,
if all reproofs and exhortations either of ministers or private
friends work not on us, but either make us angry at our
reprovers, or set us on defending the sin. Or, lastly, if this
sinful habit be so strong in us as to give us a love to the sin,
not only in ourselves but in others : if, as the Apostle saith,
Rom. i. 32, We do not only do the things, but take pleasure
in them that do them, and therefore, entice and draw as
many as we can into the same sins with us : then it is risen
to the highest step of wickedness, and is to be looked on as
the utmost degree both of sin and danger. Thus you see
hoAV you are to examine yourselves concerning your sins, in
each of which you are to consider how many of these
heightening circumstances there have been, that so you may
aright measure the heinousness of them.
7. Now the end of this examination is, to bring you to
such a sio^ht of your sins, as may truly
u V.T 1 ^u^ c HUMILIATION.
humble you, make you sensible oi your
own danger, that have provoked so great a Majesty, who is
able so sadly to revenge himself upon you. And that will
surely even to the most carnal heart appear a reasonable
ground of sorrow. But that is not all ; it must likewise
bring you to a sense and abhorrence of your baseness and
ingratitude, that have thus offended so good and gracious a
God, that have made such unworthy and unkind returns to
those tender and rich mercies of his. And this consideration
especially must melt your hearts into a deep sorrow and
contrition, the degree whereof must be in some measure
answerable to the degree of your sins. And the greater it
88 OF THE lord's supper. [SUNDAY III,
is, provided it be not such as shuts up the hope of God's
mercy, the more acceptable it is to God, who hath promised
not to despise a broken and contrite heart, Psalm U. 17.
And the more Hkely it will be also to bring us to amendment ;
for if we have once felt what the smart of a wounded Spirit
is, we shall have the less mind to venture upon sin again.
8. For when we are tempted with any of the short plea-
sures of sin, we may then out of our own experience set
against them the sharp pains and terrors of an accusing
conscience, which will to any that hath felt them be able
infinitely to outweigh them. Endeavour therefore to bring
yourselves to this melting temper, to this deep unfeigned
sorrow, and that not only for the danger you have brought
upon yourself; for though that be a consideration which
may and ought to work sadness in us, yet where that alone
is the motive of our sorrow, it is not that sorrow which will
avail us for pardon ; and the reason of it is clear, for that
sorrow proceeds only from the love of ourselves, we are
sorry because we are like to smart. But the sorrow of a true
penitent must be joined also with the love of God, and that
will make us erieve for having offended
CONTRITION. 1,- ^1, 1. ^r,^ ^1
him, though there were no punishment to
fall upon ourselves. The way then to stir up this sorrow in
us, is first, to stir up our love of God, by repeating to ourselves
the many gracious acts of his mercy towards us, particularly
that of his sparing us, and not cutting us off in our sins.
Consider with thyself how many and how great provocations
thou hast offered him, perhaps in a continued course of many
years wilful disobedience, for which thou mightest with
perfect justice have been ere this sent quick into hell. Nay,
possibly thou hast before thee many examples of less sinners
than thou art, who have been suddenly snatched away in the
midst of their sins. And what cause canst thou give, why
thou hast thus long escaped, but only because his eye hath
spared thee ? And what cause of that sparing, but his tender
compassions towards thee, his unwillingness that thou should-
est perish ? This consideration, if it be pressed home upon
thy soul, cannot choose (if thy heart be not as hard as the
nether millstone) but awake somewhat of love in thee towards
this gracious, this long-suffering God, and that love will
certainly make it appear to thee, that it is an evil thing and
bitter, that thou hast forsaken tlie Lord, Jer. ii. 19. That
thou hast made such wretched requitals of so great mercy ;
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 83
it will make thee both ashamed and angry at thyself that
thou hast been such an unthankful creature. But if the con-
sideration of this one sort of mercy, God's forbearance only,
be such an engagement and help to this godly sorrow, what
will then be the multitude of those other mercies which
every man is able to reckon up to himself? And therefore
let every man be as particular in it as he can, call to mind
as many of them as he is able, that so he may attain to the
greater degree of true contrition.
9. And to all these endeavours must be added earnest
prayers to God, that he by his holy Spirit would show you
your sins, and soften your hearts, that yoxi may thoroughly
l3ewail and lament them.
10. To this must be joined an humble confession of sins
to God, and that not only in general, but
1 . ,. T n -^ ^ CONFESSION.
also m particular, as far as your memory
of them will reach, and that with all those heightening cir-
cumstances of them, which you have by the forementioned
examination discovered. Yea, even secret and forgotten
sins must in general be acknowledged, for it is certain there
are multitudes of such ; so that it is necessary for every one
of us to say with David, Psalm xix. 12, Who can under-
stand his errors ? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
When you have thus confessed your sins with this hearty
sorrow, and sincere hatred of them, you may then (and not
before) be concluded to feel so much of your disease, that
it will be seasonable to apply the remedy.
11 In the next place, therefore, you arc to look on him
whom God hath set forth to be the mo-
pitiationfor our sins, Rom. iii. 25. JEven
Jesus Christ, that Lamb of God, which taheth away the
sins of the world, John i. 29. And earnestly beg of God,
that by his most precious blood your sins may be washed
away : and that God would for his sake be reconciled to you.
And this you are to believe will surely be done, if you do
for the rest of your time forsake your sins, and give your-
selves up sincerely to obey God in all his commands. But
without that, it is vain to hope any benefit from Christ, or
his sufferings. And therefore the next part of your prepara-
tion must be the setting those resolutions of obedience, which
I told you was the third thing you are to examine yourselves
of before you approach to the holy Sacrament.
84 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III.
12. Concerning the particulars of this Resolution, I need
say no more, but that it must answer every
RESOLUTIONS OF ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ . ^^^^ -^^ ^^
OBEDIENCE. ^^ygj; j^ot Only in general resolve that we
will observe God's Commandments, but we must resolve it
for every Commandment by itself; and especially where we
have found ourselves most to have failed heretofore, there
especially to renew our resolutions. And herein it nearly
concerns us to look that these resolutions be sincere and
unfeigned, and not only such slight ones as people use out of
custom to put on at their coming to the Sacrament, which
they never think of keeping afterwards. For this is a cer-
tain truth, that whosoever comes to this holy Table without
an entire hatred of every sin, comes unworthily ; and it is as
sure, that he that doth entirely hate all sin, will resolve to
forsake it : for you know forsaking naturally follows hatred,
no man willingly abides with a thing or person he hates.
And therefore he that doth not so resolve, as that God the
searcher of hearts may approve it as sincere, cannot be sup-
posed to hate sin, and so cannot be a worthy receiver of
that holy Sacrament. Therefore try your resolutions tho-
roughly, that you deceive not yourselves in them ; it is your
own great danger if you do ; for it is certain you cannot
deceive God, nor gain acceptation from him by any thing
which is not perfectly hearty and unfeigned.
13. Now as you are to resolve on this new obedience, so
you are likewise to resolve on the means,
OF THE MEANS. *^ i • i • , • ,1 n
which may assist you m the pertormance
of it. And therefore consider in every duty what are the
means that may help you in it, and resolve to make use of
tliem, how uneasy soever they be to your flesh ; so on the
other side consider what things they are, that are likely to
lead you to sin, and resolve to shun and avoid them : this
you are to do in respect of all sins whatever, but especially
in those whereof you have formerly been guilty. For there
it will not be hard for you to find by what steps and degrees
you were drawn into it, what company, what occasion it
was that ensnared you, as also to what sort of temptations
you are aptest to yield. And therefore you must particu-
larly fence yourself against the sin, by avoiding those occa-
sions of it.
14. But it is not enough that you resolve you will do all
this hereafter, but you must instantly set to it, and begin the
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORd's SUPPER. 85
course by doing at the present whatsoever you have oppor-
tunity of doing. And there are several things, which you
may, nay, must do at the present, before you come to the
Sacrament.
15. As first you must cast off every sin, not bring any
one unmortified lust with you to that Table ;
r •. • . 1, X X ^ ^i, PRESENT RE-
for It IS not enough to purpose to cast them
off afterwards, but you must then actually
do it by withdrawing all degrees of love
and affection from them ; you must then give a bill of divorce
to all your old beloved sins, or else you are in no way fit to
be married to Christ. The reason of this is clear ; for this
Sacrament is our spiritual nourishment ; now before we can
receive spiritual nourishment we must have spiritual life,
(for no man gives food to a dead person.) But whosoever
continues not only in the act, but in the love of any one
known sin, hath no spiritual life, but is, in God's account,
no better than a dead carcass, and therefore cannot receive
that spiritual food. It is true, he may eat the bread and
drink the wine, but he receives not Christ, but instead of
him, that which is most dreadful ; the Apostle will tell you
what, 1 Cor. xi. 29, He eats and drinks his own damnation.
Therefore you see how great a necessity lies on you thus
actually to put off" every sin, before you come to this Table.
16. And the same necessity lies on you for a second thing
to be done at this time, and that is, the
, . ' , 1 A EMBRACING
puttmg your soul mto a heavenly and
Christian temper ; by possessing it with all
those graces which may render it acceptable in the eyes of
God. For when you have turned out Satan and his accursed
train, you must not let your soul lie empty ; if you do,
Christ tells you, Luke xi. 26, He will quickly return again^
and your last estate shall be worse than your first. But
you must by earnest prayer invite into it the holy Spirit with
his Graces, or, if they be in some degree there already, you
must pray that he will yet more fully possess it, and you
must quicken and stir them up.
17. As for example, you must quicken your Humility,
by considering your many and great sins :
, 17 •*!, u r* ^- ^ A^ QUICKENING OF
your i*aith, by meditatmg on God s pro-
mises to all penitent sinners : your love to
God, by considering his mercies, especially those remem-
bered in the Sacrament, his giving Christ to die for us;
8
86 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY HI.
and your love to your neighbor, nay, to your enemies, by
considering that great example of his suffering for us that
were enemies to him. And it is most particularly required
of us when we come to this Table, that we copy out this
pattern of his, in a perfect forgiveness of all that have of-
fended us ; and not only forgiveness but such a kindness
also, as will express itself in all offices of love and friend-
ship to them.
18. And if you have formerly so quite forgot that blessed
example of his, as to do the direct con-
trary ; if you have done any unkindness or
injury to any person, then you are to seek forgiveness from
him : and to that end, first acknowledge your fault, and
secondly, restore to him, to the utmost of your power, what-
soever you have deprived him of, either in goods or credit.
This reconciliation with our brethren is absolutely necessary
towards the making any of our services acceptable with God,
as appears by that precept of Christ, Mat. v. 23, 24, If
thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy ivay, first be reconciled to
thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Where you
see, that though the gift be already at the altar, it must rather
be left there unoffered, than be offered by a man that is not
at perfect peace with his neighbour. And if this charity be
so necessary in all our services, much more in this, where,
by a joint partaking in the same holy mysteries, we signify
our being united and knit not only to Christ our head, but
also to each other, as fellow-members. And, therefore, if we
come with any malice in our hearts, we commit an act of
the highest hypocrisy, by making a solemn profession in the
Sacrament, of that charity and brotherly love, whereof our
hearts are quite void.
19. Another most necessary grace at this time is that of
Devotion ; for the raising whereof we must
DEVOTION. „ 1 ^- * a 1
allow ourselves some time to withdraw
from our worldly affairs, and wholly to set ourselves to this
business of preparation ; one very special part of which pre-
paration lies in raising up our souls to a devout and heavenly
temper. And to that it is most necessary that we cast off
all thoughts of the world, for they will be sure, as so many
clogs, to hinder our souls hi their mounting towards heaven.
A special exercise of this devotion is Prayer, wherein we
SUNDAY III] OF THE LORd's SUPrER. 87
must be very frequent and earnest at our coming to the Sa-
crament, this being one great instrument wherein we must
obtain all those other graces required in our preparation.
Therefore, be sure this be not omitted : for if you use never
so much endeavour besides, and leave out this, it is the going
to work in your own strength, without looking to God for
his help, and then it impossible you should prosper in it :
For we are not able of ourselves to think any thing as of
ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. —
Therefore, be instant with him so to assist you with his
grace, that you may come so fitted to this Holy Table, that
you may be partakers of the benefits there reached out to all
worthy receivers.
20. These and all other spiritual graces our souls must be
clothed with when we come to this feast,
for this is that weddinsf-ffarment without
, . , , • Ti ^ I, THESE GRACES.
which, whosoever comes, is like to have
the entertainment mentioned in the parable of him who
came to the marriage without a wedding garment, Matt.
xxii. 13, who was cast into utter darkness, where is weep-
ing and gnashing of teeth ^ for, though it is possible, he
may sit it out at the present, and not be snatched from the
table, yet St. Paul assures him, he drinks damnation to him-
self, and how soon it may fall on him is uncertain : but it is
sure it will, if repentance prevent it not, and as sure, that
whenever it does come, it will be intolerable: for who
among us can dwell with everlasting burnings? Isaiah
xxxiii. 14.
21. I shall add but one thing more concerning the things
which are to be done before the Sacrament,
A a ^ ■ A • *\ ^ -c THE USEFULNESS
and that is an advice, that it any person
f u- ^c ^ OF A spiritual
upon a serious view oi himseli cannot sa-
tisfy his own soul of his sincerity, and so
doubts whether he may come to the Sacrament, he do not
rest wholly on his own judgment in the case ; for if he be a
truly humbled soul, it is likely he may judge too hardly of
himself; if he be not, it is odds, but if he be left to the
satisfying his own doubts, he will quickly bring himself to
pass too favourable a sentence. Or whether he be the one
or the other, if he comes to the Sacrament in that doubt, he
certainly plunges himself into farther doubts and scruples,
if not into sin ; on the other side, if he forbear because of
it, if that fear be a causeless one, then he groundlessly ab-
88 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY in.
sents himself from that Holy Ordinance, and so deprives his
soul of the benefits of it. Therefore, in the midst of so
many dangers which attend the mistake of himself, I would,
as I said before, exhort him not to trust to his judgment, but
to make known his case to some discreet and godly minister,
and rather be guided by his, who will probably (if the case
be duly and without any disguise discovered to him) be bet-
ter able to judge of him than he of himself. This is the
counsel the Church gives in the Exhortation before tlie Com-
munion, where it is advised, that if any, by other means
there forementioned, cannot quiet his own conscience, but
require farther counsel and comfort, then let him go to
some discreet and learned minister of God's word, and
open his grief, that he may receive such ghostly counsel,
advice, and comfort, that his conscience may be relieved,
&c. This is surely such advice as should not be neglected,
neither at the time of coming to the Sacrament, nor any
other, when we are under any fear or reasons of doubt con-
cerning the state of our souls. And for want of this, many
have run into very great mischief, having let the doubt fester
so long, that it hath either plunged them into deep distresses
of conscience, or, which is worse, they have to still that dis-
quiet within them, betaken themselves to all sinful pleasures,
and so quite cast off all care of their souls.
22. But to all this, it will perhaps be said, that this cannot
be done without discoverino^ the nakedness
and blemishes of the soul, and there is
shame in that; and, therefore, men are un-
COVER OURSELVES •„• , t •' tj 4. ^ ^i, ^ t ^1 ^
willmg to do It. But to that 1 answer, that
it is very unreasonable that should be a
hindrance ; for, first, I suppose you are to choose only such
a person as will faithfully keep any secret you shall commit
to him, and so it can be no public shame you can fear. And
if it be in respect of that single person, you need not fear
that neither ; for supposing him a godly man, he will not think
the worse of you, but the better, that you are so desirous to
set all right between God and your soul. But if indeed
there were shame in it, yet as long as it may be a means to
cure both your trouble and your sin too^ (as certainly godly
and faithful counsel may tend much to both) that shame
ought to be despised, and it is sure it would, if we loved our
souls as well as our bodies : for in bodily diseases, be they
never so foul or shameful, we count him a fool who will
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 89
rather miss the cure than discover it ; and then it must here
be so much a greater folly, by how much the soul is more
precious than the body.
23. But God knows it is not only doubtful persons to
whom this advice mi^ht be useful ; there
^1 r xi, X 1, /; AS NECESSARY TO
are others oi another sort, whose confi-
j • .1 • J- 1 THE CONFIDENT
dence is their disease, who presume very
ffroundlessly of the goodness of their es-
f * , V .1, * 4. I. DOUBTFUL.
tates : and for those it were most happy,
if they could be brought to hear some more equal judgments
than their own in this so weighty a business. The truth is,
we are generally so apt to favour ourselves, that it might be
very useful for the most, especially the more ignorant sort,
sometimes to advise with a spiritual guide ; to enable them
to pass right judgments on themselves ; and not only so, but
to receive directions how to subdue and mortify those sins
they are most inclined to, which is a matter of so much
difficulty, that we have no reason to despise any means that
may help us in it.
24. I have now gone through those several parts of duty
we are to perform before our receiving ;
• *u .1 T ^ 4 11 u * • AT THE TIME OF
in the next place, 1 am to tell you, what is
* u J ^ .\, \- c • ■ ixru RECEIVING.
to be done at the time oi receiving. VV hen
thou art at the Holy Table, first humble
*T, ir • ^11 ^ A ^ MEDITATION OF
thyself m an unfeigned acknowledgment
/,, . .u- . u A .. 1 THY UNWORTHI-
01 thy great un worthiness to be admitted
there ; and to that purpose remember again,
between God and thine own soul, some of thy greatest and
foulest sins, thy breaches of former vows made at that table,
especially since thy last receiving. Then meditate on those
bitter Sufferings of Christ, which are set
• *u c 4. 1, *V, THE SUFFERINGS
out to US in the feacrament: when thou
seest the bread broken, remember how his
blessed body was torn with nails upon the Cross ; when
thou seest the wine poured out, remember how his precious
Blood was spilt there ; and then consider, it was thy sins
that caused both. And here think how unworthy a wretch
thou art to have done that which occasioned such torments
to Him; how much worse than his very crucifiers. They
crucified him once, but thou hast, as much as in thee lay,
crucified him daily. They crucified him because they knew
him not, but thou hast known both what he is in himself,
the Lord of Glory , and what he is to thee, a most tender
8*
90 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III.
and merciful Saviour, and yet thou hast still continued thus
to crucify him afresh. Consider this, and let it work in
thee, first a great sorrow for thy sins past, and then a great
hatred and a firm resolution against them for the time to
come.
25. When thou hast awhile thus thought on these sufferings
of Christ for the increasing thy humility
THE ATONEMENT ^^^ coutritiou ; then in the second place
WROUGHT BY ^j^-^^j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^-^^ ^^ g^.^. ^^ ^j^^ p^-^j^ .
V ' look on him as the Sacrifice offered up for
thy sins, for the appeasing of God's wrath, and procuring
his favour and mercies toward thee. And, therefore, believ-
ingly, yet humbly beg of God to accept of that satisfaction
made by his innocent and beloved Son, and for the merits
thereof to pardon thee whatever is past, and to bo fully recon-
ciled to thee.
26. In the third place consider them again to raise thy
thankfulness. Think how much both of
shame and pain he there endured, but
NESS OWING • 11 xi ♦ c U- Cf 1
especially those ffreat agonies oi his Soul ;
which drew from him that bitter cry, My
God, my God, ivhy hast thou forsaken nie? Matt, xxvii.
46. Now all this he suffered only to keep thee from perish-
ing. And, therefore, consider what unexpressible thanks
thou owest him ; and endeavour to raise thy Soul to the most
zealous and hearty thanksgiving ; for this is a principal part
of duty at this time, the praising and magnifying that mercy
which hath redeemed us by so dear a price. Therefore, it
will here well become thee to say with David, / ivill take
the Cup of Salvation, and will call upon the Name of the
Lord.
27. Fourthly, look on these sufferings of Christ to stir up
this love ; and surely there cannot be a
THE GREAT LOVE a- \ ^ c i ■ -^ r i
more eliectual means oi doing it ; for here
the love of Christ to thee is most manifest,
according to that of the Apostle, 1 John iii.
16,' Hereby perceive we the love of God towards us, because
he laid dozen his life for us. And that even the highest de-
gree of love; for, as himself tells us, John xv. 13, Greater
love than this hath no man, than that a man lay down his
life for his friend. Yet even greater love than this had he;
for he not only died, but died the most painful and most
reproachful death, and that not for his friends, but for his
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORd's SUPPER. 91
Utter enemies. And, therefore, if after all this love on his
part there be no return of love on ours, we are worse than
the vilest sort of men, for even the publicans. Matt. v.
46, love those that love them. Here, therefore, chide and
reproach thyself that thy love to him is so faint and cool,
when his to thee was so zealous and affectionate. And
endeavour to enkindle this holy flame in thy Soul, to love
him in such a degree, that thou mayest be ready to copy out
his example, to part with all things, yea, even life itself
whenever he calls for it, that is, whensoever thy obedience to
any command of his shall lay thee open to those sufferings.
But in the mean time to resolve never again to make any
league with his enemies, to entertain or harbour any sin in
thy breast. But if there have any such hitherto remained
with thee, make this the season to kill and crucify it; offer
it up at this instant, a sacrifice to him who was sacrificed for
thee, and particularly for that very end, that he 7night redeem
thee from all iniquity. Therefore, here make thy solemn
resolutions to forsake every sin, particularly those into which
thou hast most frequently fallen. And that thou mayest
indeed perform those resolutions, earnestly beg of this cru-
cified Saviour that he will, by the power of his death, mortify
and kill all thy corruptions.
28. When thou art about to receive the Consecrated
Bread and Wine, remember that God now
/r X 1 . Ir, xi 4 T\T r^ * THE BENEFITS OF
offers to seal to thee that JNew Covenant
made with mankind in his Son. For since
he gives that his Son in the Sacrament,
he gives with him all the benefits of that
Covenant, to wit, pardon of sins, sanctifying grace, and a
title to an eternal inheritance. And here be astonished at
the infinite goodness of God, who reaches out to thee so
precious a treasure. But then remember that this is all but
on condition that thou perform thy part of the Covenant.
And therefore settle in thy soul the most serious purpose of
obedience, and then with all possible devotion join with the
minister in that short, but excellent prayer, used at the in-
stant of giving the Sacrament, The body of our Lord, ^c.
29. So soon as thou hast received, offer up thy devoutest
praises for that great mercy, together with
f, ^ ° c u ■ * UPON RECEIVING
ihy most earnest prayers tor such assist-
GIVE THANKS
ance of God's Spirit as may enable thee to
93 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY IH.
perform the vow thou hast now made. Then remembering
that Christ is a propitiation not for our
sins only, bid also for the sins of the whole
world; let thy charily reach as far as his hath done, and
pray for all mankind that every one may receive the benefit
of that Sacrifice of his ; commend also to God the estate of
the Church, that particularly whereof thou art a member.
And forget not to pray for all to whom thou owest obedience,
both in Church and State ; and so go on to pray for such
particular persons as either thy relations or their wants shall
present to thee. If there be any collection for the poor (as
there always ought to be at this time) give freely according
to thy ability ; or if by the default of others, there be no such
collection, yet do thou privately design something towards
the relief of thy poor brethren, and be sure to give it, the
next fitting opportunity that offers itself. All this thou
must contrive to do in the time that others are receiving, that
so when the public prayers after the administration begin,
thou mayest be ready to join in them, which thou must like-
wise take care to do with all devotion; thus much for be-
haviour at the time of receiving.
30. Now follows the third and last thing, that is, what
thou art to do after thy Receiving. That
AFTER THE SA- i • i • • j • . i / u J •
which IS immediately to be done is, as soon
CRAMENT. . , ,■ A {■ ^x, *•
as thou art retired Irom the congregation,
to oflfer up again to God thy Sacrifice of Praise for all those
precious mercies conveyed to thee in that
PRIVATE PRAYER fio * ^ x. M ^ **
holy Sacrament, as also humbly to entreat
AND THANKSGIV- ,, "^ . , ' . , ^ , /
the continued assistance oi his grace to
enable thee to make good all those purposes
of obedience thou hast now made. And in whatsoever thou
knowest thyself most in danger, either in respect of any for-
mer habit, or natural inclination, there especially desire and
earnestly beg his aid.
31. When thou hast done thus, do not presently let thy-
self loose to thy worldly cares and business.
But spend all that day either in meditating,
TO FALL TO .^ ,. Ac *u
, praying, reading, good conferences, or the
like ; so as may best keep up that holy flame
which is enkindled in our heart. After-
wards, when thy calling requires thee to fall to thy usual
aflairs, do it ; but yet stiU remember that thou hast a greater
SUNDAY m.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 9$
business than that upon thy hands ; that is, the performing
of all those promises thou so lately madest to God: and
therefore, whatever thy outward emplo)^-
1 X .1, 1 /i i *i * 1 TO KEEP THY RE-
ments are, let thy heart be set on that, keep
„ ,, .• 1 f .1, 1 ^- • SOLUTIONS STILL
all the particulars of thy resolutions in
J 1 A XX X J IN MEMORY.
memory, and, whenever thou art tempted
to any of thy old sins, then consider, this is the thing thou
so solemnly vowedst against ; and withal remember, what a
horrible oruilt it will be, if thou shouldst
•ir n 1 .u- X X xi X THE DANGER OF
now wiltully do any thinff contrary to that
A 1, / V, ui • 1- r 1 BREAKING THEM.
VOW ; yea, and what a horrible mischiei also
it will be to thyself. For at thy receiving, God and thou
entered into Covenant, into a league of friendship and kind-
ness. And as long as thou keepest in that friendship with
God, thou art safe, all the malice of men or devils can do
thee no harm; for as the Apostle saith, Rom. viii. 31, TjT
God be for us, ivho can he against us ?
but if thou breakest this league (as thou
certainly dost, if thou yieldest to any wilful
sin) then God and thou are enemies, and if all the world
then were for thee, it could not avail thee.
32. Nay, thou wilt get an enemy within thine own bosom,
thy conscience accusing and upbraiding
thee ; and when God and thine own con-
• xu • X xl .1, i. SCIENCE.
science are thus against thee, thou canst
not but be extremely miserable even in this life, besides that
fearful expectation of wrath which awaits thee in the next.
Remember all this when thou art set upon by any tempta-
tion ; and then sure thou canst not but look upon that tempta-
tion as a cheat that comes to rob thee of thy peace, thy God,
thy very soul ; and then sure it will appear as unfit to entertain
it, as thou wouldst think it to harbour one in thy house who
thou knowest came to rob thee of what is dearest to thee.
33. And let not any experience of God's mercy in par-
doning thee heretofore, encourage thee ,
• X TV f u J .1. X •* GOD S FORMER
again to provoke him : tor, besides that it
.°, if, 1 rij J PARDONS NO EN-
IS the highest degree oi wickedness and
xu 1 f 1 X 1 xT, X J e COURAGEMENT
unthanktulness, to make that goodness oj
his ivhich should lead thee to repentance
an encouragement in thy sin ; besides this, I say, the oftener
thou hast been pardoned, the less reason thou hast to expect
it again, because thy sin is so much the greater for having
been committed against so much mercy. If a king have
94 OF THE lord's supper. [SUNDAY III.
several times pardoned an offender, yet if he still return to
commission of the same fault, the king will at last be forced,
if he have any love to justice, to give him up to it. Now,
so is it here : God is as well just as merciful, and his jus-
tice will at last surely and heavily avenge the abuse of his
mercy ; and there cannot be a greater abuse of his mercy,
than to sin in hope of it : so that it will prove a miserable
deceiving of thyself thus to presume upon it.
34. Now this care of making good thy Vow must not
abide with thee some few days only, and
THE OBLIGATION ^, , ^ j u ^ •* . .•
then be cast aside, but it must continue
with thee all thy days. For if thou break
thy Vow, it matters not, whether sooner or
later. Nay, perhaps the guilt may in some respects be
more, if it be late ; for if thou hast for a good while gone on
in the observance of it, that shows the thing is possible to
thee ; and so thy after-breaches are not of infirmity, because
thou canst not avoid them, but of perverseness, because thou
wilt not. Besides, the use of Christian walking must needs
make it more easy to thee. For, indeed, all the difficulty
of it is but from the custom of the contrary ; and, there-
fore, if after some acquaintance with it, when thou hast
overcome somewhat of the hardness, thou shalt then give it
over, it will be most inexcusable. Therefore, be careful all
the days of thy life to keep such a watch over thyself, and so
to avoid all occasions of temptations, as may preserve thee
from all wilful breaches of this vow.
35. But though the obligation of every such single vow
reach to the utmost day of our lives, yet
YET OFTEN TO c. 4- -^ ^i, * •
are we oiten to renew it, that is, Ave are
BE RENEWED. c, x • *v, tt i o . r
oiten to receive the Holy Sacrament; for
that being the means of conveying to us so great and un-
valuable benefits, and it being also a command of Christ, that
we should do this in remembrance of him, we are in respect
both of reason and duty to omit no fit opportunity of par-
taking of that Holy Table. I have now showed you what
that reverence is which we are to pay to God in his Sacra-
ment.
SUNDAY IV.
Honour due to God's Name: Sins against it; Blasphemy; Swearing;
of Assertory, Promissory, Unlawful Oaths ; of Perjury, vain Oaths,
and the Sins of them, &c.
The last thing wherein we are to express our reverence
to him, is the honouring of his Name. — ^^^^^^..^ ^„^ ^^
Now what this honourino; of his Name is,
we shall best understand by considering
what are the things by which it is dishonoured, the avoiding
of which will be our way of honouring it.
The first is, all Blasphemies, or speaking any evil thing
of God, the highest degree whereof is
,. -r J . 1 u SINS AGAINST IT.
cursmg hun ; or it we do not speak it
with our mouths, yet if we do it in our hearts by thinking
any unworthy thing of him, it is looked
u /-« J u .1, 1 \ .1 -1 i. BLASPHEMY.
on by God, who sees the heart, as the vilest
dishonour. But there is also a blasphemy of the actions,
that is, when men who profess to be the servants of God
live so wickedly that they bring up an evil report of him
whom they own as their Master and Lord. This Blasphemy
the Apostle takes notice of, Rom. ii. 24, where he tells those
who profess to be observers of the law, that by their wicked
actions, the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gen-
files. Those Gentiles were moved to think ill of God, as
the favourer of sin, when they saw those, who called them-
selves his servants, commit it.
A second way of dishonouring God's Name is by swear-
ing, and that is of two sorts, either by false
Oaths, or else by rash and light ones. A
false Oath may also be of two kinds, as first, that by which
I affirm somewhat, or secondly, that by which I promise.
The first is, when I say such or such a
thing was done so or so, and confirm this
OATHS
saying of mine with an Oath ; if then I
know there be not perfect truth in Avhat I say, this is a flat
perjury, a downright being foresworn : nay, if I swear to the
truth of that whereof I am only doubtful, though the thing
should happen to be true, yet it brings upon me the guilt of
05
96 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV.
perjury ; for I swear at a venture, and the thing might, for
ought I know, be as well false as true ; whereas, I ought
never to swear any thing, the truth of which I do not cer-
tainly know.
2. But besides this sort of Oaths by which I affirm any
thing, there is the other sort, that by which
PROMISSORY. J pj.Qj^isg somewhat. And that promise
may be either to God or man. When it is to God, we call
it a Vow, of which I have already spoken, under the heads
of the Sacraments. I shall now only speak of that to man,
and this may become a false oath, either at or after the time
of taking it. At the time of taking, it is false, if either I
have then no real purpose of making it good, or else take it
in a sense different from that which I know he to whom I
make the promise understands it ; for the use of Oaths,
being to assure the persons to whom they are made, they
must be taken in their sense. But if I were never so sin-
cere at the taking the Oath, if afterwards I do not perform
it, I am certainly perjured.
3. The nature of an Oath being then thus binding, it
nearly concerns us to look that the matter
UNLAWFUL ^^ ^^^^ Q^^^^g ^g j^^^^^j ^^^ ^lgg ^g ^^^
ourselves into a woful snare. For exam-
ple, suppose I swear to kill a man, if I perform my Oath, I
am guilty of murder ; if I break it, of perjury. And so I
am under the necessity of sinning one way or other ; but
there is nothing puts us under a greater degree of this un-
happy necessity, than when we swear two Oaths, whereof
the one is directly cross and contradictory to the other. For
if I swear to give a man my whole estate, and afterwards
swear to give all or part of that estate to another, it is cer-
tain I must break my Oath to one of them, because it is im-
possible to perform it to both, and so I must be under a neces-
sity of being foresworn. And into this unhappy strait every
man brings himself that takes any Oath which crosses some
other which he hath formerly taken ; which should make
all, that love either God or their own souls, resolve never
thus miserably to entangle themselves by taking one oath
cross and thwarting to another. But it may perhaps here be
asked, what a person that hath already brought himself into
such a condition shall do ; I answer, he must first heartily
repent of the great sin of taking the unlawful Oath, and then
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 97
Stick only to the lawful, which is all that is in his power
towards the repairing his fault, and qualifying him for God's
pardon for it.
4. Having said this concerning the kinds of this sin of
Perjury, I shall only add a few words to
show you how ffreatly God's Name is dis- atly
honoured by it. In all Oaths, you know, i>ishonoured
God is solemnly called to witness the truth ^^ perjury.
of that which is spoken ; now if the thing be false, it is the
basest affront and dishonour that can possibly be done to
God. For it is in reason to signify one of these two things,
either that we believe he knows not whether we say true or
no (and that is to make him no God, to suppose him to be
as deceivable and easy to be deluded as one of our ignorant
neighbours,) or else that he is willing to countenance our
lies ; the former robs him of that great attribute of his, his
knowing all things, and is surely a great dishonouring of him,
it being even amongst men accounted one of the greatest
disgraces, to account a man fit to have cheats put upo him ;
yet even so we deal with God, if we venture to forswear
upon a hope that God discerns it not. But the other is yet
worse, for the supposing him willing to countenance our lies,
is the making him a party in them ; and is not only the
making him no God (it being impossible that God should
either lie himself, or approve it in another,) but is the making
him like the very Devil, for he it is that is a liar, and the
father of it, John viii. 44. And surely I need not say
more to prove that this is the highest degree of dishonouring
God's Name.
5. But if any yet doubt the heinousness of this sin, let
him but consider what God himself says
of it in the third commandment, where he ^^^' punish-
solemnly professes he ivill not hold him ^^^"^^ ^^ ^^^•
guiltless that taketh his Name in vain; and sure the add-
ing that to this commandment, and none of the rest, is the
marking this out for a most heinous guilt. And if you look
into Zech. v. you will there find the punishment is answer-
able, even to the utter destruction, not only of the man but
his house also. Therefore, it concerns all men, as they love
either their temporal or eternal welfare, to keep them most
strictly from this sin.
But besides this of forswearing, I told you there was an-
other sort of Oaths by which God's Name is dishonoured :
9
98 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV.
those are the vain and light Oaths, such as
VAIN OATHS. ^^^ g^ usual in our common discourse, and
are expressly forbidden by Christ, Matt. v. 34. But 1 say
unto you, Sivear not at all, neither by Heaven, for it is
GocPs throne, nor by the Earth, for it is his footstool: where
you see we are not allowed to swear even by mere creatures,
because of the relation they have to God. How great a
wickedness is it then to profane his holy name by rash and
vain Oaths ! This is a sin that is (by I know not what
charm of Satan's) grown into a fashion among us ; and now
its being so draws daily more men into it. But it is to be
remembered that when we shall appear before God's Judg-
ment-seat, to answer for those profanations of his Name, it
will be no excuse to say, it was the fashion to do so ; it will
rather be an increase of our guilt, that we have by our own
practice helped to confirm that wicked custom, which we
ought to have beat down and discountenanced.
6. And sure, whatever this profane age thinks of it, this
is a sin of a very hidi nature. For be-
sides that it is a direct breach of the precept
them. ^^ Christ, it shows first, a very mean and
low esteem of God : every oath we swear is the appealing
to God to judge the truth of what we speak : and, therefore,
being of such greatness and majesty, requires that the mat-
ter concerning which we thus appeal to him should be of
great weight and moment, somewhat wherein either his owui
glory or some considerable good of man is concerned. But
when we swear in common discourse, it is far otherwise ;
and the triflin^est or lightest thing serves for the matter of
an oath ; nay, often men swear to such vain and foolish
things, as a considering person would be ashamed barely to
speak. And is it not a great despising of God to call him
solemnly to judge in such childish, such wretched matters 1
God is the great King of the world ; now though a king be to
be resorted unto in weighty cases, yet sure he would think him-
self much despised, if he should be called to judge between
boys at their childish games : and God knows many things
whereto we frequently swear, are not of greater weight ; and,
therefore, are a sign that we do not rightly esteem of God.
7. Secondly, this common swearing is a sin which leads
„„„ directly to the former of forswearing ; for
THEY LEAD TO i ^i f , ,, n ■ \. .\ A
he that by the use oi swearmg hath made
Oaths so familiar to him, will be likely to
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 99
take the dreadfuUest Oath without much consideration. For
how shall he that swears hourly, look upon an Oath with
any reverence ? And he that doth not, it is his chance, not
his care, that is to be thanked, if he keep from Purjury.
Nay, farther ; he that swears commonly is not only prepar-
ed to forswear when a solemn Oath is tendered him, but in
all probability does actually forswear himself often in those
suddener Oaths : for supposing them to come from a man
ere he is aware (which is the best can be said of them,)
what assurance can any man have who swears ere he is
aware, that he shall not lie so too 1 And if he doth both to-
gether, he must necessarily be forsworn. But he that
observes your common swearers will be put past doubt that
they are often forsworn ; for they usually swear indifferently
to things true or false, doubtful or certain. And I doubt not
but if men who are guilty of this sin, would but impartially
examine their own practice, their hearts would second me
in this observation.
8. Thirdly, this is a sin to which there is no temptation ;
there is nothing either of pleasure or profit
i u -^ X xi, ' £C ^O TEMPTA-
ffot by It : most other sms oner us some-
u ^ u-u Txi, xi, .u u X xu- TION TO THEM.
what either oi the one or the other, but this
is utterly empty of both. So that in this sin the Devil does
not play the merchant for our souls, as in others he does ; he
doth not so much as cheapen them, but we give them freely
into his hands without any thing in exchange. There seems
to be but one thing possible for men to hope to gain by it,
and that is, to be believed in what they say, when they thus
bind it by an oath. But this also they constantly fail of; for
there are none so little believed as the common swearers.
And good reason, for he that makes no conscience thus to
profane God's Name, why shall any man believe he makes
any of lying ? Nay, their forwardness to confirm every the
slightest thing by an oath, rather gives jealousy that they
have some inward guilt of falseness, for which that oath
must be the cloak. And thus you see in how little stead it
stands them, even to this only purpose for which they can
pretend it useful : and to any other advantage it makes not
the least claim, and therefore is a sin without temptation,
and consequently without excuse ; for it shows the greatest
contempt, nay, unkindness to God, when we will provoke
him thus, without any thing to tempt us to it. And there-
fore though the commonness of this sin hath made it pass
100 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV.
but for a small one, yet it is very far from being so either in
itself, or in God's account.
9. Let all therefore who are not yet fallen into the custom
of this sin be most careful never to yield to the least beginnings
of it ; and for those who are so miserable
NECESSITY OF ^^ ^^ ^^ already ensnared in it, let them
ABSTAINING immediately, as they tender their souls, get
FROM THEM. ^^^ ^^ -^^ ^^^ j^^ ^^^ ^^^ p^^^^ ^^^ ^,^^^_
ness of leaving an old custom, as an excuse for his continu-
ing in it, but rather the longer he hath been in it, so much
the more haste let him make out of it, as thinking it too
much that he hath so long gone on in so great a sin. And
if the length of the custom have increased the difficulty of
leaving it, that is in aU reason to make him set immediately
to the casting it off, lest that difficulty at last grow to an im-
possibility ; and the harder he finds it at the present, so much
the more diligent and watchful he must be
MEANS FOR IT. ■ ^, c u ^i. \.u
m the use ot ail those means, which may
tend to the overcoming that sinful habit. Some few of those
means it will not be amiss here to mention.
10. First, let him possess his mind fully of the heinous-
ness of the sin, and not to measure it only
SENSE OF THE j. ^ V ^ f xu i/
accordmg to the common rate ot the world.
And when he is fully persuaded of the
guilt, then let him add to that, the considera-
tion of the danger, as that it puts him out of God's favour at
the present, and will, if he continue in it, cast him into hell
for ever. And sure if this were but thoroughly laid to heart,
it would restrain this sin. For I would ask a man, that
pretends impossibility of leaving the custom, whether if he
were sure he should be hanged the next oath he swore, the
fear of it would not keep him from swearing ? I can scarce
believe any man in his wits so little master of himself, but it
would. And then surely damning is so much worse than
hanging, that in all reason the fear of that ought to be a much
greater restraint. The doubt is, men do either not heartily
believe that this sin will damn them, or, if they do, they look
on it as a thing a great way off, and so are not much moved
with it ; but both these are very unreasonable. For the first,
it is certain, that every one that continues wilfully in any sin
is so long in a state of damnation, and therefore this being
so continued in must certainly put a man in that condition.
For the second, it is very possible he may be deceived in
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 101
thinking it so far off, for how knows any man that he shall
not be struck dead with an oath in his mouth ? Or if he were
sure not to be so, yet eternal damnation is surely to be
dreaded above all things, be it at what distance soever.
11. A second means is to be exactly true in all thou
speakest ; that all men may believe thee on
thy bare word, and then thou wilt never
have occasion to confirm it by an oath, to a i .
make it more credible, which is the only colour or reason
can at any time be pretended for swearing.
12. Thirdly, observe what it is that most betrays thee to
this sin, whether drink, or anger, or the
company and example of others, or what-
ever else ; and then, if ever thou mean to
forsake this sin, forsake those occasions of it.
13. Fourthly, endeavour to possess thy heart with a con-
tinual reverence of God ; and if that once
- . , • , ,1 -, 1, • 1 REVERENCE OF
grow into a custom with thee, it will quick-
ly turn out that contrary one of profaning.
Use and accustom thyself therefore to this reverence of God,
and particularly to such a respect to his Name, as, if it be
possible, never to mention it without some lifting up of thy
heart to him. Even in thy ordinary discourse, whenever
thou takest his Name into thy mouth, let it be an occasion
of raising up thy thoughts to him, but by no means permit
thyself to use it in idle by-words, or the like. If thou dost
accustom thyself to pay this reverence to the bare mention
of his Name, it will be an excellent fence against the pro-
faning it in oaths.
14. A fifth means is a diligent and constant watch over
thyself, that thou thus offend not with thy
tongue, without which all the former will watchfulness.
come to nothing. And the last means is prayer, which must
be added to all thy endeavours ; therefore
pray earnestly, that God will enable thee ^^*
to overcome this wicked custom ; say with the Psalmist, Set
a watch, O Lord, over my mouth, and keep the door of
m,y lips : and if thou dost sincerely set thyself to the use of
means for it, thou mayst be assured God will not be wanting
in his assistance. I have been the longer on this, because
it is so reigning a sin. God in his mercy give all that are
guilty of it, a true sight of the heinousness of it !
9*
102 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. LsUNDAY V.
15. By these several ways of dishonouring God's Name,
you may understand what is the duty of
, honouring it, viz. a strict abstaining from
every one of these, and that abstinence
^ ' founded on an awful respect and reverence
to that sacred Name, which is Great, Wonderful, and Holy,
Psalm xcix. 3. I have now passed througli the several
branches of that great Duty of Honouring of God.
SUNDAY Y.
Of Worship due to God's Name, Of Prayer, and its several parts. Of
public Prayers in the Church, in the Family. Of private Prayer.
Of Repentance, &c. Of Feasting.
The eighth duty we owe to God is Worship ; this is that
great duty by Avhich especially we acknowledge his God-
head, worship being proper only to God,
and therefore it is to be looked on as a most
weighty duty. This is to be performed, first, by our Souls ;
secondly, by our Bodies. The Soul'
prayer, its
parts.
part is Praying. Now prayer is a speaking
to God, and there are divers parts of it,
according to the different things about which we speak.
2. As first, there is Confession ; that is, the acknowledg-
inor our sins to God. And this may be
CONFESSION. .^. , .-1 .1 1 •
either general or particular : the general is,
when we only confess in gross that we are sinful ; the par-
ticular, when we mention the several sorts and acts of our
sins. The former is necessary to be always a part of our
solemn prayers, whether public or private. The latter is
proper for private prayer, and there the oftener it is used the
better ; yea, even in our daily private prayer it will be lit
constantly to remember some of our gi-eatest and foulest sins,
though never so long since past. For such we should never
think sufficiently confessed and bewailed. And this bewail-
ing must always go along with confession ; we must be
heartily sorry for the sins we confess, and from our sins
acknowledge our own great unworthiness in having commit-
ted them. For our confession is not intended to instruct
God, who knows our sins much better than ourselves do ;
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 103
but it is to humble ourselves, and therefore we must not
think to have confessed aright till that be done.
3. The second part of prayer is Petition ; that is, the
begging of God whatsoever we want, either
for our Souls or Bodies. For our Souls, petitions.
we must first beg pardon of sins, and that
for the sake of Jesus Christ, who shed his ^'
blood to obtain it. Then we must also beg the grace and
assistance of God's Spirit to enable us to forsake our sins,
and to walk in obedience to him. And herein it will be
needful particularly to beg all the several virtues, as Faith,
Love, Zeal, Purity, Repentance, and the like ; but especially
those which thou most wantest : and, therefore, observe
what thy wants are ; and if thou beest proud, be most in-
stant in praying for humility ; if lustful, for chastity ; and
so for all other graces, according as thou findest thy needs.
And in all these things that concern thy Soul, be very earnest
and importunate ; take no denial from God, nor give over,
though thou do not presently obtain what thou suest for. —
But if thou hast never so long prayed for a grace, and yet
findest it not, do not grow weary of praying, but rather
search what the cause may be which makes thy prayer so
ineffectual ; see if thou do not thyself hinder them ; perhaps
thou prayest to God to enable thee to conquer some sin, and
yet never goest about to fight against it, never makest any
resistance, but yieldest to it as often as it comes, nay, puttest
thyself in its way, in the road of all temptations. If it be
thus, no wonder though thy prayers avail not, for thou wilt
not let them. Therefore amend this, and set to the doing
of thy part sincerely, and then thou needest not fear but God
will do his.
4. Secondly, we are to petition also for our Bodies ; that
is, we are to ask of God such necessaries
of life as are needful to us, while we live bodies.
here. But these only, in such a degree and measure, as his
wisdom sees best for us ; we must not presume to be our own
carvers, and pray for all that wealth or greatness which our
own vain hearts may perhaps desire, but only for such a
condition, in respect of outward things, as he sees may most
tend to those great ends of our living here, the glorifying
him, and the saving of our own souls.
5. A third part of prayer is Deprecation ; that is, when
104 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
DEPRECATION.
we pray to God to turn away some evil
from us. Now the evil may be either the
evil of sin, or the evil of punishment. The
OF SIN. ^^.j ^^ g.^ -g ^Yi^^ ^g ^^g especially to pray
against, most earnestly begging of God, that he will, by the
power of his grace, preserve us from falHng into sin. And
whatever sins they are, to which thou knowest thyself most
inclined, there be particularly earnest with God to preserve
thee from them. This is to be done daily, but then more espe-
cially, when we are under any present temptation, and in
danger of falling into any sin ; in which case, we have rea-
son to cry out as St. Peter did when he found himself sink-
ing, Save, Lord, or I perish, humbly beseeching him either
to withdraw the temptation, or strengthen us to withstand it,
neither of which we can do for ourselves.
6. Secondly, we are likewise to pray against the evil of
Punishment, but principally against spiritual
OF PUNISHMENT. ■ -, , f. rr^ A *\. ui,
punishments, as the anger oi God, the with-
drawing of his grace, and eternal damnation. Against these
we can never pray with too much earnestness. But we may
also pray against temporal punishments, that is, any outward
affliction ; but this with submission to God's will, according
to the example of Christ, Matt. xxvi. 39. Not-as I will,
but as thou wilt.
7. A fourth part of prayer is Intercession, that is, praying
for others. This in general we are to do
INTERCESSION. r ^^ 1 • J 11 .
lor all mankind, as well strangers as ac-
quaintance, but more particularly those to whom we have
any especial relation, either public, as our governors, both in
church and state, or private, as parents, husbands, wife, chil-
dren, friends, &c. We are also to pray for all that are in
affliction, and such particular persons as we discern espe-
cially to be so : yea, we are to pray for those that have done
us injury, those that despitefully use and persecute us, for
it is expressly the command of Christ, Matt. v. 44. And
that whereof he hath likewise given us the highest example
in praying even for his very crucifiers, Luke xxiii. 34. Fa-
ther, forgive them. For all these sorts of persons we are
to pray, and that for the very same good things we beg of
God for ourselves, that God would give them, in their several
places and callings, all spiritual and temporal blessings which
he sees wanting to them, and turn away from them all evil,
whether of sin or punishment.
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 105
8. The fifth part of prayer is Thanksgiving; that is, the
praisinsf and blessing God for all his mer-
* cies, whether to our own persons, and those
that immediately relate to us, or to the church and nation
whereof we are members, or yet more general to all man-
kind ; and this for all his ipercies, both spiritual and temporal.
In the spiritual, first, for those Avherein we are all in com-
mon concerned, as the giving of his Son, the sending of his
Spirit, and all those means he hath used to bring sinful men
unto himself. Then secondly, for those mercies we have in
our own particulars received ; such are the having been born
within the pale of the church, and so brought up in Christian
religion, by which we have been partakers of those precious
advantages of the word and sacraments, and so have had,
without any care or pains of ours, the means of eternal life
put into our hands. But besides these, there is none of us
but have received other spiritual mercies from God.
9. As first, God's patience and long-suffering, waiting for
our repentance, and not cutting us oflf in
our sins. Secondly, his calls and invi-
. ,. c * .u / X . ^ MERCIES.
tations 01 US to that repentance, not only
outward, in the ministry of the word, but also inward, by the
motions of his Spirit. But then if thou be one that hath
by the help of God's grace been wrought upon by these calls,
and brought from a profane or worldly, to a Christian course
of life, thou art surely in the highest degree tied to magnify
arvi praise his goodness, as having received from him the
greatest of mercies.
10. We are likewise to give thanks for temporal blessings,
whether such as concern the public, as the
c ^x. n 1 ^^. 1 11 TEMPORAL.
prosperity oi the church or nation, and all
remarkable deliverances afforded to either ; or else such as
concern our particulars, such are all the good things of this
life which we enjoy ; as health, friends, food, raiment, and
the like : also, for those minutely preservations whereby we
are by God's gracious providence kept from danger, and the
especial deliverances which God hath given us in the time
of greatest perils. It will be impossible to set down the
several mercies which every man receives from God, because
they differ in kind and degree between one man and another.
But it is sure that he which receives least hath yet enough
to employ his whole life in praises to God. And it will be
very fit for every man to consider the several passages of his
106 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
life, and the mercies he hath in each received, and so to
gather a kind of hst or catalogue of them, at least the prin-
cipal of them, which he may always have in his memory,
and often with a thankful heart repeat before God.
1 1 . These are the several parts of Prayer, and all of them
to be used both publicly and privately. —
PUBLIC PRAYERS r^^^ ^^^^j-^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^le
IN THE CHURCH. Q^urch, whcrc all meet to join in those
prayers wherein they are in common concerned. And in
this (where the prayers are such as they ought to be) we
should be very constant, there being an especial blessing
promised to the joint requests of the faithful ; and he that
without a necessary cause absents himself from such pubUc
prayers, cuts himself off from the church, which hath always
been thought so unhappy a thing, that it is the greatest pun-
ishment the governors of the church can lay upon the worst
offender ; and, therefore, it is a strange madness for men to
inflict it upon themselves.
12. A second sort of public prayer is that in a family,
where all that are members of it join in
IN THE FAMILY. ^^^^-^ commoH suppUcations ; and this also
ought to be very carefully attended to, first by the Master of
the Family, who is to look that there be such prayers, it
being as much his part thus to provide for the souls of his
children and servants, as to provide food for their bodies.
Therefore there is none, even the meanest householder, but
ought to take this care. If either himself or any of his
family can read, he may use some prayers out of some good
book ; if it be the service book of the church, he makes a
good choice : if they cannot read, it will then be necessary
they should be taught without book some form of prayer
which they may use in the family, for which purpose again
some of the prayers of the church will be very fit, as being
most easy for their memories, by reason of their shortness,
and yet containing a great deal of matter. But what choice
soever they make of prayers, let them be sure to have some,
and let no man that professes himself a Christian keep so
heathenish a family as not to see God be daily worshipped
in it. But when the master of a family hath done his duty
in this providing, it is the duty of every member of it to
make use of that provision, by being constant and diligent at
those Family Prayers.
13. Private or secret Prayer is that which is used by a
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 107
man alone, apart from all others, wherein
we are to be more particular, according to
our particular needs, than in public it is fit RAyer.
to be. And this of private prayer is a duty which will not
be excused by the performance of the other of public. —
They are both required, and one must not be taken in ex-
change for the other. And whoever is diligent in public
prayers, and yet negligent in private, it is much to be feared
he rather seeks to approve himself to men than to God ;
contrary to the command of our Saviour, Matt. vi. who
enjoins this private prayer, this praying to our Father in
secret, from whom alone we are to expect our reward, and
not from the vain praises of men.
14. Now this duty of Prayer is to be often performed, by
none seldomer than evening and morning,
it being most necessary that we should thus ^i^equency in
begin and end all our works with God, and prayer.
that not only in respect of the duty we owe him, but also in
respect of ourselves, who can never be either prosperous or
safe, but by committing ourselves to him ; and, therefore,
should tremble to venture on the perils either of day or night
without his safeguard. How much oftener this duty is to be
performed, must be judged according to the business or leisure
men have ; where, by business, I mean not such business as
men unprofitably make to themselves, but the necessary
business of a man's caUing, which with some will not aiford
them much time for set and solemn Prayer. But even these
men may often in a day lift up their hearts to God in some
short prayers even whilst they are at their work. As for those
that have more leisure, they are in all reason to bestow more
time upon this duty. And let no man that can find time to
bestow upon his vanities, nay, perhaps his sins, say he wants
leisure for Prayer, but let him now endeavour to redeem
what he hath misspent, by employing more of that leisure
in this duty for the future : and surely if
we did but rightly weigh how much it is ^^^vantages
our own advantage to perform this duty, we
should think it wisdom to be as frequent as we are ordinarily
seldom in it.
15. For first, it is a great Honour for us poor worms of
the earth to be allowed to speak so freely
to the Majesty of Heaven. If a king should honour.
but vouchsafe to let one of his meanest subjects talk familiary
108 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
and freely with him, it would be looked on as a huge honour ;
that man how despicable soever he were before, would then
be the envy of all his neighbours ; and there is little question
he would be willing to take all opportunities of receiving so
great a grace. But alas ! this is nothing to the honour is
offered us, who are allowed, nay invited, to speak to and
converse with the King of Kings, and therefore, how for-
ward should we in all reason be to it !
16. Secondly, it is a great Benefit, even the greatest that
can be imagined ; for Prayer is the instru-
ment of fetching down all good things to
us, whether spiritual or temporal ; no prayer, that is qualified
as it ought to be, but is sure to bring a blessing according
to that of the wise man, Ecclus. xxxv. 17. The prayer of
the humble pierceth the clouds, and will not turn away till
the Highest regard it. You would think him a happy man
that had once certain means of helping him to whatever he
wanted, though it were to cost him much pains and labour ;
now this happy man thou mayest be if thou wilt. Prayer
is the never-failing means of bringing thee, if not all that
thou thinkest thou wantest, yet all that indeed thou dost,
that is, all that God sees fit for thee. And therefore be there
never so much weariness to thy flesh in the duty, yet, con-
sidering in what continual want thou standest of something
or other from God, it is madness to let that uneasiness dis-
hearten thee, and keep thee from this so sure means of sup-
plying thy wants.
17. But in the third place, this duty is in itself so far
PLEASANTNESS. ^^^^^ ^^"^^ uncasy, that it is very pleas-
ant. God is the fountain of happiness, and
at his right haiid are ptleasures for evermore, Psalm xvi.
11. And therefore the nearer we draw to him, the happier
we must needs be, the very joys of heaven arising from our
nearness to God. Now in this life we have no way of
drawing so near to him as by this of Prayer, and therefore
surely it is that which in itself is apt to afford abundance of
delight and pleasure ; if it seem otherwise to us, it is from
some distemper of our own hearts, which like a sick palate
cannot relish the most pleasant meat. Prayer is a pleasant
CARNALITY ONE ^"^^^^ ^^^ '^ ^^ ^'^^^^ ^ Spiritual ouc ; and
x,x, . c^^. ^ therefore if thy heart be carnal, if that be
REASON OF ITS ^ . 1 /■, , , ' p ,,
set either on the contrary pleasures of the
SEEMING OTHER- n i -i r .u a ^ .x.
flesh, or dross oi the word ; no marvel then,
if thou taste no pleasantness in it, if, like
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 109
the Israelites, thou despise manna, while thou longest after
the flesh-pots of Egypt. Therefore, if thou find a weariness
in this duty, suspect thyself, purge and refine thy heart from
the love of all sin, and endeavour to put it into a heavenly
and spiritual frame, and then thou wilt find this no unpleas-
ant exercise, but full of delight and satisfaction. In the
mean time, complain not of the hardness of the duty, but of
the untowardness of thy own heart.
18. But there may also be another reason of its seeming
unpleasant to us, and that is want of use.
You know there are many things, which
seem uneasy at the first trial, which yet
after we are accustomed to them seem very delightful ; and
if this be thy case, then thou knowest a ready cure, viz. to
use it oftener, and so this consideration naturally enforces
the exhortation, of being frequent in this duty.
19. But we are not only to consider how often, but how
well we perform it. Now, to do it well,
/ . r . ,1 ♦x f TO ASK NOTHING
we are to respect, first, the matter oi our
Prayers, to look that we ask nothing that
is unlawful, as revenge upon our enemies, or the like.
Secondly, the manner : and that must be
first in Faith ; we must believe, that if we
Faith
ask as we ought, God will either give us
the thing we ask for, or else somethino- which he sees better
for us : and then secondly in Humility ; we
1 1 J -^ , ^^1 IN HUMILITY.
must acknowledge ourselves utterly un-
worthy of any of those good things we beg for, and there-
fore sue for them only for Christ's sake ;
Thirdly, with Attention ; we must mind
TION
what we are about, and not suffer ourselves
to be carried away to the thought of other things. I told
you at the first, that Prayer was the business of the Soul ;
but if our minds be wandering, it is the work only of the
tongue and lips, which make it in God's account no better
than vain babbling, and so will never bring a blessing on us.
Nay, as Jacob said to his mother, Gen. xxvii. 12, it will be
more likely to bring a curse on us than a blessing, for it is
a profaning one of the most solemn parts of God's service,
it is a piece of hypocrisy, the drawing near to him with
our lips, when our hearts are far from him, and a great
slighting and despising that dreadful Majesty we come be-^
fore ; and as to ourselves, it is a most ridiculous folly, that
10
OF GOD S
MAJESTY.
110 THE Duty of prayer. Lsunday v.
we who come to God upon such weighty eiTands, as are all
the concernments of our souls and bodies, should in the
midst forget our business, and pursue every the lightest thing
that either our own vain fancies or the Devil, whose business
it is here to hinder us, can offer to us. It is just as if a
malefactor, that comes to sue for his life to the king, should
in the midst of his supplications happen to espy a butterfly,
and then should leave his suit, and run a chase after that
butterfly : would you not think it a pity a pardon should be cast
away upon so wretchless a creature ? And sure it will be as un-
reasonable to expect that God should attend and grant those
suits of ours, which we do not at all consider ourselves.
20. This wandering in Prayer is a thing we are much
concerned to arm ourselves against, it being
HELPS against ^^^^ ^^ ^^-^^^ ^^^ ^^^ naturally wonderfully
WANDERING. ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ -^ ^^.^^ ^^ ncccssary
first to possess our hearts, at our coming to praye;-s, with the
greatness of that Majesty we are to ap-
CONSIDERATION ^ i,*i.* A A ^ u ■
proach, that so we may dread to be vam
and trifling in his presence. Secondly,
we are to consider the great concernment
of the things we are to ask, some whereof are such that if
we should not be heard, we were of all
creatures the most miserable ; and yet this
wandering is the way to keep us from being heard. Thirdly,
Ave are to beor God's aid in this particular :
PRAYER FOR , ^, ex. ^i, ,^ ^ .
, and therefore when thou settest to prayer,
let thy first petition be for this grace of
Attention.
21. Lastly, be as watchful as is possible over thy heart in
WATCHFULNESS ^'"^^ ^^ prayer, to keep out all wandering
thoughts ; or, if any have gotten in, let them
not find entertainment, but as soon as ever thou discernest them,
suffer them not to abide one moment, but cast them out with
indignation, and beg God's pardon for them. And if thou
dost thus sincerely and diligently strive against tliem, either
God will enable thee in some measure to overcome, or he
will in his mercy pardon thee what thou canst not prevent.
But if it be through thy own negligence, thou art to expect
neither, so long as that negligence continues.
22. In the fourth place, we must look our prayers be with
Zeal and Earnestness ; it is not enough
that we so far attend them as barely to
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. HI
know what it is we say ; but we must put forth all the affec-
tion and devotion of our souls, and that according to the
several parts of prayer before mentioned. It is not the cold,
faint request that will ever obtain from God ; we see it will
not from ourselves ; for if a beggar should ask relief from us,
and do it in such a scornful manner that he seemed indiffer-
ent Avhether he had it or no, we should think he had either
little want, or great pride ; and so have no heart to give him.
Now, surely the things we ask from God are so much above
the rate of an ordinary alms, that we can never expect they
should be given to slight and heartless petitions. No more
in like manner will our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
ever be accepted by him, if it be not offered from a heart
truly affected with the sense of his mercies ; it is but a kind
of formal complimenting which will never be approved by
him who requires the heart, and not the lips only. And the
like may be said of all the other parts of prayer. Therefore
be careful, when thou drawest nigh to God in prayer, to
raise up thy soul to the highest pitch of Zeal and earnestness
thou art able. And because of thyself alone thou art not
able to do any thing, beseech God that he will inflame thy
heart with this heavenly fire of devotion, and when thou
hast obtained it, beware that thou neither quench it by any
wilful sin, nor let it go out again for want of stirring it up
and employing it.
23. Fifthly, we must pray with- Purity, I mean, we must
puro^e our hearts from all affections to sin.
WTT'TT "PTT'PTT'V
This is surely the meaning of the apostle,
1 Ti3i. ii. 8, when he commands men to lift up holy hands
in prayer, and he there instances in one special sort of sin,
wrath and doubting ; where by doubting is meant those un-
kind disputes and contentions which are so common amongst
men. And surely he that cherishes that or any other sin in
his heart, can never lift up those holy hands which are re-
quired in this duty. And then sure his prayers, be they
never so many or earnest, will little avail him. The Psalmist
will tell him he shall not be heard. Psalm Ixvi. 18, If I re-
gard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
Nay, Solomon will tell him yet worse, that his prayers are
not only vain, but abominable, Prov. xv. 8, Tlie sacrifice
of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And thus
to have our prayers turned into sin, is one of the heaviest
things that can befall any man. We see it is set down in
112 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
that sad catalogue of curses, Psalm cix. 7. Therefore let
us not be so cruel to ourselves as to pull it upon our own
heads, which we certainly do if we offer up prayers from
an impure heart.
24. In the last place, we must direct our prayers to right
Ends ; and that either in respect of the
THE RIGHT pj-^yer itsclf, or the things we pray for ;
ENDS. jj^g^^ ^g must pray not to gain the praise
of devotion amongst men, like those hypocrites, Matt. vi.
5, nor yet only for company or fashion sake to do as others
do : but we must do it, first, as an act of worship to God ;
secondly, as an acknowledgment that he is that great spring
from whence alone we expect all good things ; and thirdly,
to gain a supply of our own or others' needs. Then in
respect of the things prayed for ; we must be sure to have
no ill aims upon them ; we must not ask that we may con-
sume it upon our lusts, James iv. 3, as those do who pray
for wealth, that they may live in riot and excess ; and for
power, that they may be able to mischief their enemies, and
the like. But our end in all must be God's glory first, and
next that, our own and others' salvation ; and all other things
must be taken in only as they tend to those ; which they can
never do if we abuse them to sin. I have now done with
that first part of worship, that of the Soul.
25. The other is that of the Body, and that is nothing else
but such humble and reverent gestures in
^ our approaches to God, as may both ex-
press the inward reverence of our Souls,
and may also pay him some tribute for our very Bodies, with
which the Apostle commands us to glory God, as well as
with our Souls ; and good reason, since he hath created and
redeemed the one as well as the other : whensoever, there-
fore, thou offerest thy prayers unto God, let it be with all
lowliness as well of body as of mind, according to that of
the Psalmist, Psa. xcv. 6, O come and let us worship, let
us fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
26. The ninth Duty to God is Repentance : that this
is a duty to God we are taught by the
repentance. a ^1 a oi u 1 • r
Apostle, Acts xx. 21, where speakmg oi
repentance, he styles it repentance towards G od. And there
is good reason this should be a duty to him, since there is
no sin we commit but is either mediately or immediately
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 113
against him. For though there be sins both against ourselves
and our neighbours, yet they being forbidden by God, they
are also breaches of the commandments, and so sins against
him.
This repentance is, in short, nothing but a turning from
Sin to God, the casting off all our former
evils, and instead thereof, constantly prac- ^ turning
tising all those Christian duties Avhich God ^^°^ ^^^ '^^
requireth of us. And this is so necessary ^^^'
a duty, that without it we certainly perish : we have Christ's
word for it, Luke xiii. 5, Except ye repent ye shall all like-
wise perish.
27. The directions for performing the several parts of this
Duty have been already given in the preparation to the
Lord's Supper, and thither I refer the
reader. Only I shall here mind him that ™^ ^^^
it is not to be looked upon as a Duty to be ^^^ duty.
practised only at the time of receiving the Sacrament. For
this being the only remedy against the poison of sin, we
must renew it as often as we repeat our sins, that is daily.
I mean we must every day repent of the
sins of that Day. For what Christ saith
of other evils is true also of this. Sufficient to the day is the
evil thereof; Ave have sins enough of each day to exercise a
daily repentance ; and, therefore, every man must thus daily
call himself to account.
28. But as it is in accounts, they who constantly set down
their daily expenses have yet some set
m» . AT S'PT' TTAfPS
Time of casting up the whole sum, as at ' *
the end of the week or month ; so should it also be here,
we should set aside some time to humble ourselves solemnly
before God for the sins, not of that day only, but of our
whole lives. And the frequenter these times are the better.
For the oftener we thus cast up our accounts with God, and
see what vast debts we are run in to him, the more humbly
shall we think of ourselves, and the more shall thirst after
his mercy, which two are the special things that must qualify
us for his pardon. He therefore that can assign himself one
day in the week for this purpose, will take a thriving course
for his soul. Or if any man's state of life be so busy as not
to afford him to do it so often, let him yet come as near to
that frequency as is possible for him, remembering always,
10*
114 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
that none of his worldly employments can bring him in near
so gainful a return as this spiritual one will do ; and there-
fore, it is very ill husbandry to pursue them to the neglect of
this.
29. Besides these constant times, there are likewise occa-
sional times lor the performance of this
IN THE TIME OF ^^^^ . ^^^^ especially are the times of
AFFLICTION. Calamity and Affliction ; for when any such
befalls us, we are to look on it as a message sent from Hea-
ven to call us to this duty ; and, therefore, must never neglect
it when we are thus summoned to it, lest we be of the num-
ber of them who despise the chastisements of the Lord,
Heb. xii. 5.
30. There is yet another time of repentance, which in the
practice of men hath gotten away the cus-
AT DEATH. ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^j^ ^j^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^ ^-^^^ ^^
Death, which, it is true, is a time very fit to renew our repent-
ance, but sure not proper to begin it; and it is a most despe-
rate madness for men to defer it till then. For to say the
mildest of it, it is the venturing our souls upon such misera-
ble uncertainties, as no wise man would trust Avith any thing
of the least value.
For first, I would ask any man that means to repent at his
Death, how he knows he shall have an
THE DANGER O^F j^^^^,^ ^.^^ ^^^ -^ , j^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^.^^ ^^^
DEFERRING IT ^^^^ suatchcd away in a moment ? And
TILL THEN. ^^j^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ j^-^ ^^^^
case? But secondly, suppose we have a more leisurely
death, that some disease give him warning of its approach,
yet perhaps he will not understand that warning, but will
still flatter himself, as very often sick people do, with hopes
of life to the last : and so his death may be sudden to him,
though it comes by never so slow degrees. But again, thirdly,
if he do discern his danger, yet how is he sure he shall then
be able to repent ? Repentance is a grace of God, not at our
command ; and it is just and usual with God, when men
have a long time refused and rejected that grace, resisted all
his calls and invitations to conversion and amendment, to
give them over, at last, to the hardness of their own hearts,
and not to aflTord them any more of that grace they have so
despised. Yet suppose, in the fourth place, that God in his
infinite patience should still continue the offer of that grace
to thee, yet thou that hast resisted, it may be, thirty, or forty,
SDNDAYV.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 115
or fifty years together, how thou knowest
that thou Shalt putoff that habit of resistance "^^ disadvan-
upon a sudden, and make use of the grace ' ^ ^
A* 1 1 , J, . ^1, 1 + DEATH-BED
aiiorded f It is sure thou hast many more
advantages towards the doing it now, than ^ ^^*
thou wilt have then.
31. For first, the longer Sin hath kept possession of the
heart, the harder it will be to drive it out.
It is true, if repentance were nothing but a
OK STIV
present ceasing from the acts of Sin, the
death-bed were fittest for it, for then we are disabled from
committing most sins ; but I have formerly showed you,
repentance contains much more than so, there must be in it
a sincere hatred of sin, and love of God. Now how un-
likely is it that he which hath all his life loved sin, cherished
it in his bosom, and on the contrary, abhorred God and good-
ness, should in an instant quite change his affections, hate
that sin he loved, and love God and goodness, which before
he utterly hated ?
32. And secondly, the Bodily Pains that attend a death-
bed will direct thee, and make thee unable
to attend the work of repentance, which is ^ ^^^ pains.
a business of such weight and difficulty, as will employ all
our powers, even when they are the freshest.
33. Consider those disadvantages thou must then struggle
with, and then tell me what hope there is
thou shalt then do that, which now upon
much easier terms thou wilt not. But in
the third place, there is a danger behind, beyond all these,
and that is, that the repentance which death drives a man to,
will not be a true repentance ; for in such a case it is plain
it is only the fear of hell puts him on it, which, though it
may be a good beginning, where there is time after to per-
fect it ; yet where it goes alone, it can never avail for salva-
tion. Now that death-bed repentances are often only of this
sort, is too likely, when it is observed, that many men who
have seemed to repent when they have thought death ap-
proaching, have yet, after it hath pleased God to restore
them to health, been as wicked (perhaps worse) as ever they
were before ; which shows plainly that there was no real
change in them ; and then surely had such a man died in
that seeming repentance, God, irho tries the hearty would
not have accepted it, which he saw was unsincere. When
116 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
all these dangers are laid together, it will surely appear a
most desperate adventure for any man to trust to a death-bed
repentance. Nor is it ever the less for that example of the
penitent thief, Luke xxii. 43, which is by many so much
depended on. For it is sure his case and ours differ widely ;
he had never heard of Christ before, and so more could not
be expected of him than to embrace him as soon as he was
tendered to him : but we have had him offered, nay, pressed
upon us from our cradles, and yet have rejected him. But
if there were not this difference, it is but a faint hope can be
raised only from a single example, and another we find not
in the whole Bible. The Israelites, we read, were fed with
manna from heaven ; but would you not think him stark
mad that should out of expectation of the like, neglect to
provide himself any food ? Yet it is full as reasonable to
depend upon this example as the other. I conclude all in
the words of the wise man, Eccles. xii. 1, Remember thy
Creator in the days of thy youth., before the evil days
come.
34. To this duty of repentance, Fasting is very proper to
be annexed. The Scripture usually joins
FASTING. i^QYn together ; among the Jews, the great
day of atonement was to be kept with fasting, as you may
see by comparing Levit. xvi. 31, with Isa. Iviii. 5. And
this by God's especial appointment. And in the prophets
when the people are called upon to repent and humble them-
selves, they are also called on to Fast. Thus it is, Joel ii.
12, Therefore now thus saith the Lord, Turn ye unto me
with all your hearts, ivith fasting, and with iveeping, &c.
Yea, so proper hath fasting been accounted to humiliation,
that we see even wicked Ahab would not omit it in his,
1 Kings xxi. 27, nor the heathen Ninevites in theirs, Jonah
iii. 5. Nor is it less fit or less acceptable since Christ, than
it was before him. For we see he supposes it as a duty
sometimes to be performed, when he gives directions to avoid
vain-glory in it, Matt. vi. 6. And also assures us that if
it be performed as it ought, not to please men but God, it
will surely be rewarded by him. And accordingly we find
it practised by the saints. Anna, Luke ii. 37, served God
with fasting and prayer : where it is observable, that it is
reckoned as a service of God, fit to be joined with prayers.
And the Christians of the first times were generally very
frequent in the practice of it. Now, though Fasting be
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 117
especially proper to a time of humiliation, yet it is not so
restrained to it, but it may be seasonable, whensoever we
have any extraordinary thing to request from God. Thus
when Esther was to endeavour the deliverance of her people
from destruction, she and all the Jews kept a solemn Fast,
Esther iv. 16. And thus when Paul and Barnabas were
to be ordained Apostles, there was Fasting joined to prayer.
Acts xiii. 3. And so it will be very fit for us whensoever
we have need of any extraordinary directions or assistance
from God, whether concerning our temporal or spiritual con-
cernments, thus to quicken our prayers by Fasting. But
above all occasions, this of humiliation seems most to require
it ; for besides the advantages of kindling our zeal, which
is never more necessary than when we beg for pardon of
sins. Fasting carries in it somewhat of revenge, which is
reckoned as a special part of repentance, 2 Cor. vii. 11. —
For by denying our bodies the refreshment of our ordinary
food, we do inflict somewhat of punishment
upon ourselves for our former excesses, or ting a
whatever other sins we at that time accuse ^^'^^^^^ upon
ourselves of; which is a proper effect of ourselves.
that indignation which every sinner ought to have against
himself. And truly he that is so tender of himself, that he
can never find in his heart so much as to miss a meal, by
way of punishment for his faults, shows he is not much
fallen out with himself for committing them ; and so wants
that indignation which the Apostle in the fore-named texts
mentions as a part of true repentance.
35. There is no doubt but such holy revenges upon our-
selves for sins are very acceptable to God ;
yet we must not think that either those, or ^^^^ Revenges
1 • 1 T 1 • ACCFPTABL'F
any thmg else we can do, can make satis-
faction for our offences ; for that nothing ^^ ^ ^^^*
but the blood of Christ can do. And, therefore, on that,
and not on any of our performances we
must depend for pardon. Yet since that ^^^ ^^ ^^'^^^'
blood shall never be appKed to any but ^^^^ion for
penitent sinners, we are as much concerned
to bring forth all the fruits of repentance, as if our hopes
depended on them only.
36. How often this duty of Fasting is to be performed,
we have no direction in Scripture. That must be allotted
118 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V.
by men's own piety, according as their
health or other considerations will allow.
But as it is in humiliation, the frequenter
returns we have of set times for it, the better ; so it is like-
wise in Fasting, the oftener, the better, so it be not hurtful
either to our healths, or to some other duty required of us.
Nay, perhaps Fasting may help some men to more of those
times for humiliation, than they would otherwise gain. For
perhaps there are some who cannot, without a manifest hin-
derance to their calling, allow a whole day to that work, yet
such an one may at least afford that time he would other-
wise spend in eating ; and so Fasting will be doubly useful
towards such a man's humiliation, both by helping him in
the duty, and gaining him time for it.
37. I have now gone through the first branch of our Duty
to God ; to wit, the acknowledging him for
SECOND BRANCH ^ ', rr-i A • ^1,1,-
our God. Ihe second is, the havmff no
OF OUR DUTY ,i r i,- r. t a r*^i •* •
Other, ot which 1 need say little, as it is a
forbidding of that grosser sort of heathenish
idolatry, the worshipping of idols, which though it w^ere once
common in the world, yet is now so rare, that it is not likely
any that shall read this will be concerned in it. Only I must
say, that to pay divine worship to any creature, be it saint
or angel, yea, or the image of Christ himself, is a transgres-
sion against this second branch of our Duty to God, it being
the imparting that to a creature which is due only to God ;
and, therefore, is strictly to be abstained from.
38. But there is another sort of idolatry, of which we are
generally guilty, and that is, when we pay
those affections of Love, Fear, Trust, and
IDOLATRY • 7 7 7
the like, to any creature in a higher degree
than we do to God : for that is the setting up that thing,
whatsoever it is, for our God. And this inward kind of
Idolatry is that which provokes God to jealousy, as well as
the outward of worshipping an idol. I might enlarge much
upon this, but because some severals of it have been touched
on in the former discourse, I suppose it needless ; and, there-
fore, shall now proceed to the second head of Duty, that to
Ourselves.
SUNDAY VI.
Duty to Ourselves : of Sobriety ; of Humility ; the great Sin of Pride ;
of Vain-glory, the Danger, Folly ; the Means to prevent it : of Meek-
ness, &.C.
This Duty to Ourselves is by St. Paul in the foremen-
tioned text, Titus ii. 12, summed up in
DUTY TO OUR-
SELVES.
this one word soberly. Now, by soberly,
is meant our keeping within those due
bounds which God hath set us. My business will therefore
be to tell you what are the particulars of this sobriety : and
that first, in respect of the soul ; secondly, in respect of the
body. The sobriety of the soul stands in right governing
its passions and affections ; and to that are many virtues
required. I shall give you the particulars of them.
2. The first of them is Humility, which may well have
the prime place, not only in respect of the
excellency of the virtue, but also of its use-
fulness towards the obtaining of all the rest. This being
the foundation on which all others must be built. And he
that hopes to gain them without this, will prove but like that
foolish builder Christ speaks of, Luke vi. 49, who built his
house on the sand. Of the humility towards God I have
already spoken, and showed the necessity of it : I am now
to speak of Humility, as it concerns ourselves, which will be
found no less necessary than the former.
3. This Humility is of two sorts : the first is, the having
a mean and low opinion of ourselves ; the second is, the
being content that others should have so of us. The first
of these is contrary to pride, the other to vain-glory. And
that both these are absolutely necessary to Christians, I am
now to show you ; which will, I conceive, best be done by
laying before you, first, the sin ; secondly, the danger ; thirdly,
the contrary vices.
4. And first for Pride ; the Sin of it is so great that it
cast the anorels out of Heaven, and there-
c -c 1 f • u .1 1 THE GREAT SIN
fore, if we may ludofe oi sm by the punish-
ment, it was not only the first, but the
greatest sin that ever the devil himself hath been guilty of;
but we need no better proof of the heinousness of it, than
119
120 SIN or PRIDE. [SUNDAY VI.
the extreme hatefulness of it to God ; which besixles that
instance of his punishing the Devil, we may frequently find
in the Scriptures, Prov. xvi. 5, Every one that is proud in
heart is an abomination to the Lord. And again chap. vi.
16, where there is mention of several things the Lord hates,
a proud look is set at the first of them : so James iv. 6, God
resisteth the proud; and divers other texts there are to the
same purpose, which shows the great hatred God bears to
this sin of Pride. Now since it is certain, God, who is all
goodness, hates nothing but as it is evil, it must needs follow,
that where God hates in so great a degree, there must be a
great degree of evil.
5. But secondly. Pride is not only very sinful, but very
dangerous : and that first, in respect of
THE DANGER. ^j,j^^^,jj^g ^g ^^ other sins ; secondly, of be-
traying us to punishments. First, pride
DRAWi draws us to other sins, wherein it shows
OTHER SINS. .^gg^^ indeed to be the direct contrary to
humility ; for as that is the root of all virtue, so is this of all
vice. For he that is proud sets himself up as his own God,
and so can never submit himself to any other rules or laws
than what he makes to himself. The ungodly, says the
Psalmist, is so proud that he careth not for God, Psalm x.
4. Where you see, it is his pride that makes him despise
God. And when a man is once come to that, he is prepared
for the commission of all sins. I might instance in a multi-
tude of particular sins that naturally flow from this of pride ;
as first anger, which the wise man sets as the effect of pride,
Prov. xxi. 24, calling it proud wrath ; secondly, strife and
contention ; which he again notes to be the offspring of Pride,
Prov. xiii. 10, Only by pride cometh contention. And
both these are indeed most natural effects of pride ; for he
that thinks very highly of himself, expects much submission
and observance from others, and therefore cannot but rage
and quarrel whenever he thinks it not sufliiciently paid. It
would be infinite to mention all the fruits of this bitter root;
I shall name but one more, and that is, that pride not only
betrays us to many sins, but also makes them incurable in
us, for it hinders the working of all remedies.
6. Those remedies must either come from God or man;
if from God, they must be either in the
frustrating of c ^ ^ a ^
way 01 meekness and gentleness, or else
of sharpness and punishment. Now if
SUNDAY VI.] SIN OF PRIDE. 121
God by his goodness essay to lead a proud man to repent-
ance, he quite mistakes God's meaning, and thinks all the
mercies he receives are but the reward of his own desert,
and so long it is sure he will never think he needs repentance.
But if on the other side God use him more sharply and lay
afflictions and punishments upon him, those in a proud heart
work nothing but murmurings and hating of God, as if he
did him injury in those punishments. As for the remedies
that can be used by man, they again must be either by way
of correction or exhortation. Corrections from man will
sure never work more on a proud heart, than those from
God ; for he that can think God unjust in them will much
rather believe it of man. And exhortations will do as little ;
for. let a proud man be admonished though never so mildly
and lovingly, he looks on it as a disgrace ; and therefore in-
stead of confessing or amending the fault, he falls to reproach-
ing his reprover as an overbusy or censorious person, and
for that greatest and most precious act of kindness, looks on
him as his enemy. And now one that thus stubbornly re-
sists all means of cure, must be concluded in a most dange-
rous estate.
7. But besides this danger of sin, I told you there was
another, that of Punishment ; and of this
there will need little proof, when it is con-
• 1 J<ii,i/-ii-5u A y PUNISHMENT.
sidered, that God is the proud man s pro-
fessed enemy, that he hates and resists him, as appeared in
the texts forecited ; and then there can be little doubt, that
he which hath so mighty an adversary shall be sure to smart
for it. Yet besides this general ground of conclusion, it may
not be amiss to mention some of those texts which particu-
larly threaten this sin, as Prov. xvi. 18, Pride goeih before
desti'uction^ and an haughty spirit before a fall; again,
Prov. xvi. 5, Every one that is proud in heart is an abomi-
nation to the Lord ; though hand join in hand, yet they
shall not be unpunished. The decree it seems is unalter-
able, and whatever endeavours are used to preserve the proud
man, they are but vain, for he shall not go unpunished. And
this is very remarkable in the story of Nebuchadnezzar,
Dan. iv. who though a king, the greatest in the world, yet
for his pride was driven from among men to dwell and feed
with beasts. And it is most frequently seen, that this sin
meets with very extraordinary judgments even in this life.
But if it should not, let not the proud man think that he hath
11
122 SIN OF PRIDE. [PUXDAY VI.
escaped God's vengeance, for it is sure there will be a most
sad reckoning in the next ; for if God spared not the angels
for this sin, but cast them into Hell, let no man hope to
speed better.
8. In the third place I am to show you the great Folly of
this sin; and to do that it will be neces-
THE FOLLY. ^^^^ ^^ cousidcr the several things where-
of men used to be proud : they are of three sorts, either
those which we call the goods of Nature or the goods of
Fortune, or the goods of Grace.
9. By the goods of Nature, I mean beauty, strength, wit,
and the like ; and the being proud of any
IN RESPECT OF ^^f ^j^ggg ^g ^ j^ugo folly. For first, we are
THE GOODS ^^^^ ^p^ ^^ mistake and think ourselves
NATURE. handsome or witty when we are not, and
then there cannot be a more ridiculous folly than to be proud
of what we have not ; and such every one esteems it in an-
other man, though he never supposes it in his own case, and
so never discerns it in himself. And therefore there is nothing
more despicable amongst all men, than a proud fool ; yet no
man that entertains high opinions of his own wit, but is in
danger to be thus deceived, a man's own judgment of him-
self being of all others the least to be trusted. But secondly,
suppose we be not out in judging, yet what is there in any
of these natural endowments which is worth the being proud,
there being scarce any of them which some creature or other
hath not in a greater degree than man ? How much does the
whiteness of the lily and the redness of the rose exceed the
white and red of the fairest face ! What a multitude of
creatures is there that far surpass man in strength and swift-
ness ! And divers others there are, which, as far as concerns
any useful end of theirs, act much more wisely than most
of us ; and are therefore oftentimes in scripture proposed to
us by way of example. It is therefore surely great unrea-
sonableness for us to think highly of ourselves for such things
as are common to us with beasts and plants. But thirdly,
if they were as excellent as we fancy them, yet they are not
at all durable, they are impared and lost by sundry means ;
a frenzy will destroy the rarest wit ; a sickness decay the
freshest beauty, the greatest strength; or however, old age
will be sure to do all. And therefore to be proud of them
is again a folly in this respct. But lastly, whatever they are,
we gave them not to ourselves. No man can think he did
SUNDAY VI.] SIN OF PRIDE. 123
any thing towards the procuring his natural beauty or wit,
and so can with no reason vakie himself for them.
10. In the second place, the folly is as great to be proud
of the goods of Fortune ; by them I mean
wealth and honour, and the like ; for it is ^
sure, they add nothing of true worth to the
man ; somewhat of outward pomp and bravery they may
help him to, but that makes no change in the person. You
may load an ass with money, or deck him with rich trap-
pings, yet still you will not make him a whit the nobler kind
of beast by either of them. Then, secondly, these are things
we have no hold of, they vanish many times ere we are
aware ; he that is rich to-day, may be poor to-morrow, and
then will be the less pitied by all in his poverty, the prouder
he was when he was rich. Thirdly, we have them all,
but as Stewards, to lay out for our Master's use, and there-
fore should rather think how to make our accounts, than
pride ourselves in our receipts. Lastly, whatever of these
we have, they, as well as the former, are not owing to our-
selves. But if they be lawfully gotten, we owe them only
to God, whose blessing it is that maketh rich, Prov. x. 22.
If unlawfully, we have them upon such terms that we have
very little reason to brag of them. And thus you see, in
these several respects, the folly of this second sort of
pride.
11. The third is that of the goods of Grace ; that is, any
virtue a man hath. And here I cannot
say, but the things are very valuable, they
being infinitely more precious than all the
world, yet nevertheless this is of all the rest the highest
folly. And that not only in the foregoing respect, that we
help not ourselves to it, grace being above all things most
immediately God's work in us, but especially in this, that
the being proud of grace is the sure way to lose it. God,
who gives grace to the humble, will take it from the proud.
For if, as we see in the parable. Matt. xxv. 28, the talent
was taken from him who had only put it to no use at all,
how shall he hope to have it continued to him that hath put
it to so ill, that instead of trading with it for God, hath traf-
ficked with it for Satan ? And as he will lose the Grace for
the future, so he will lose all the Reward of it for the time
past. For let a man have done never so many good acts,
yet if he be proud of them, that pride shall be charged on
124 OF HUMILITY. [sUNDAY VI.
him to his destruction, but the good shall never be remember-
ed to his reward. And this proves it to be a most wretched
folly to be proud of grace. It is like that of children that
pull those things in pieces they are most fond of, but yet
much worse than that of theirs, for we not only lose the
thing (and that the most precious that can be imagined,) but
we must also be eternally punished for doing so, there being
nothing that shall be so sadly reckoned for in the next world
as the abuse of Grace ; and certainly there can be no greater
abuse of it, than to make it serve for an end so directly con-
trary to that for which it was given, it being given to make
us humble, not proud, to magnify God, not ourselves.
12. Having showed you thus much of this sin, I suppose
it will appear very necessary to be eschew-
MEANS OF Hu- ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ purpose it will be useful to
consider what hath been already said con-
cerning it, and that so seriously as may work in thee not
some slight dislike, but a deep and irreconcilable hatred of
the sin : secondly, to be very watchful over thine own heart,
that it cherish not any beginnings of it ; never suffer it to
feed on the fancy of thine own worth ; but whenever any
such thought arises, beat it down immediately with the
remembrance of some of thy follies or sins, and so make
this very motion of pride an occasion of humility. Thirdly,
never to compare thyself with those thou thinkest more
foolish or wicked than thyself, that so thou mayest like the
Pharisee, Ltjke xviii. 11, extol thyself for being better ; but
if thou wilt compare, do it with the Wise and Godly ; and
then thou wilt find thou comes t so far short as may help to
pull down thy high esteem of thyself. Lastly, to be very
earnest in prayer, that God would root out all degrees of
this sin in thee, and make thee one of those poor in spirit,
Matt. v. 3, to w^hom the blessing even of Heaven itself is
promised.
13. The second contrary to humility, I told you was
Vain-glory ; that is, a great thirst after the
praise of men. And first, that this is a sin,
I need prove no otherwise, than by the
words of our Saviour, John v. 44, How can ye believe, that
receive honour one of another ? Where it appears, that it is
not only a sin, but such an one as hinders the receiving of
Christ into the heart ; for so believing there signifies. This
then in the second place shows you likewise the great danger-
SUNDAY VI.] OF HUx^ILITY. 125
ousness of this sin, for if it be that which
keeps Christ out of the heart, it is sure it * ^ ^^^*
brings infinite danger, since all our safety, all our hope of
escaping the wrath to come, stands in receiving him. But
besides the authority of this text, common experience shows,
that wherever this sin hath possession, it endangers men to
fall into any other. For he that so considers the praise of
men, that he must at no hand part with it, whenever the
greatest sins come to be in fashion and credit (as God knows
many are now-a-days,) he will be sure to commit them,
rather than run the disgrace of being too single and precise ;
1 doubt there are many consciences can witness the truth of
this, so that I need say no more to prove the danger of this
sin.
14. The third thing I am to show is the folly of it, and
that will appear first, by considering what
it is we thus hunt after, nothing but a little
air, a blast, the breath of men, it brings us in nothing of real
advantage ; for I am made never the wiser nor the better for
a man's saying I am wise and good. Besides, if I am com-
mended, it must be either before my face or behind my back :
if the former, it is very often flattery, and so the greatest
abuse that can be offered, and then I must be very much a
fool to be pleased with it. But if it be behind my back, I
have not then so much as the pleasure of knowing it ; and,
therefore, it is a strange folly thus to pursue what is so utterly
gainless. But secondly, it is not only gainless, but painful
and uneasy also. He that eagerly seeks praise is not at all
master of himself, but must suit all his actions to that end,
and instead of doing what his own reason and conscience,
(nay, perhaps his worldly conveniency) directs him to, he
must take care to do what will bring him in commendations,
and so enslave himself to every one that hath but a tongue
to commend him. Nay, there is yet a further uneasiness in
it, and that is, when such a man fails of his aim, when he
misses the praise, and perhaps meets with the contrary
reproach, (which is no man's lot more often than the vain-
glorious, nothing making a man more despised) than what
disturbances and disquiets, and even tortures of mind is he
under ! A lively instance of this you have in Achitopel,
2 Sam. xvii. 23, who had so much of this, upon Absalom's
despising his counsel, that he chose to rid himself of it, by
hanging himself. And sure this painfulness that thus attends
11*
126 OF HUMILITY. [sUNDAY VI.
this sill, is sufficient proof of the folly of it. Yet this is
not all, it is yet further very hurtful. For if this vain-glory
be concerning any good or Christian action, it destroys all
the fruit of it ; he that prays or gives alms to be seen of
men, Matt. vi. 2, must take that as his reward, Verily I
say unto yoy^ they have their reward ; they must expect
none from God, but the portion of those hypocrites, that
love the praise of men more than the praise of God. And
this is a miserable folly to make such an exchange. It is
like the dog in the fable, who seeing in the water the shadow
of that meat he held in his mouth, catched at the shadow,
and so let go his meat. Such dogs, such unreasonable crea-
tures are we, when we thus let go the eternal rewards of
Heaven to catch at a few good words of men. And yet we
do not only lose those eternal joys, but procure to ourselves
the contrary eternal miseries, which is sure the highest pitch
of folly and madness. But if the vain-glory be not concern-
ing any virtuous action, but only some indifferent thing, yet
even there also it is very hurtful ; for vain-glory is a sin that,
wheresoever it is placed, endangers our eternal estate, which
is the greatest of all mischiefs. And even for the present it
is observable, that of all other sins it stands the most in its
own light, hinders itself of that very thing it pursues. For
there are very few that thus hunt after praise, but they are
discerned to do so, and that is sure to eclipse whatever
praise- worthy thing they do, and bring scorn upon them
instead of reputation. And then certainly we may justly
condemn this sin of folly, which is so ill a manager even of
its own design.
15. You have seen how wretched a thing this vain-glory
is in these several respects, the serious
HELPS AGAINST • i .• i, <■ i j
consideration whereof may be one good
VAIN-GLORY. . , , ... i • i v ii u
means to subdue it; to which it will be
necessary to add, first, a great watchfulness over thyself;
observe narrowly whether in any Christian duty thou at all
considerest the praise of men, or even in the most indifferent
action, look whether thou have not too eager a desire of it,
and if thou findest thyself inclined that way, have a very
strict eye upon it, and wherever thou findest it stirring, check
and resist it, suffer it not to be the end of thy actions. But
in all matters of Religion let thy Duty be the Motive ; in all
indifferent things of common life, let Reason direct thee;
and though thou mayest so far consider in those things the
SUNDAY VI. 3 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 127
opinion of men, as to observe the rules of common decency
yet never think any praise that comes in to thee from any
thing of the kind, worth the contriving for. Secondly, set
up to thyself another aim, viz., that of pleasing God : let
that be thy inquiry when thou goest about any thing ; whe-
ther it be approved by him. And then thou wilt not be at
leisure to consider what praise it will bring thee from men.
And surely he that weighs of how much more moment it
is to please God, who is able eternally to reward us, than
man, whose applause can never do us any good, will surely
think it reasonable to make the former his only care. —
Thirdly, if at any time thou art praised, do not be much
overjoyed with it, nor think a jot the better of thyself; but
if it be Virtue thou art praised for, remember it was God that
wrought it in thee, and give him the glory, never thinking
any part of it belongs to thee. If it be some indifferent
action, then remember that it cannot deserve praise, as having
no goodness in it : but if it be a bad one, (as amongst men
such are sometimes likeliest to be commended) then it ought
to set thee a trembling instead of rejoicing, for then that woe
of our Saviour's belongs to thee, Luke vi. 26, fVoe unto
you ivhen men speak well of you, for so did their fathers
to the false prophets; and there is not a greater sign of a
hardened heart, than when men can make their sins the mat-
ter of their glory. In the last place, let thy prayers assist
in the fight with this corruption.
16. A second Virtue is Meekness, that is a calmness
and quietness of spirit, contrary to the
^ 1 . '4 ■ r K T^i • meekness.
rages and impenitencies ot Anger. Ihis
virtue may be exercised, either in respect of God, or his
neighbour. That towards God, I have already spoken of,
under the head of Humility, and that towards our neighbour,
I shall hereafter. All I have here to say of it is, how it
becomes a duty to ourselves ; that it does, in respect of the
ffreat advantages we reap by it ; which, in
^ i-i ^ ^ 1 ^11 ADVANTAGES OF
mere kindness to ourselves, we are to look
after. And to prove that it brings us this
great advantage, I need say no more, but that this meekness
is that to which Christ hath pronounced a blessing, Matt.
V. 5, Blessed are the meek ; and not only in the next world,
but even in this too, they shall inherit the earth. Indeed,
none but the meek person hath the true enjoyment of any
thing in the world ; for the angry and impatient are like sick
128 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. [sUNDAY VI.
people, who, we use to say, cannot enjoy the greatest pros-
perities ; for let things be never so fair without, they will
raise storms within their own breasts. And surely whoever
hath, either in himself or others, observed the great uneasi-
ness of this passion of anger, cannot choose but think meek-
ness a most pleasant thing.
17. Besides, it is also a most honourable thing, for it is
that whereby we resemble Christ, learn of me, saith he, for
I am meek and lowly in heart, Matt. xi. 29. It is also
that whereby we conquer ourselves, overcome our own un-
ruly passions, which of all victories is the greatest and most
noble. Lasdy, it is that which makes us behave ourselves
like men, whereas anger gives us the fierceness and wildness
of savage beasts. And accordingly the one is by all esteemed
and loved ; whereas the other is hated and abhorred, every
man shunning a man in rage as they would a furious beast.
18. Farther yet. Meekness is the sobriety of the mind,
whereas anger is the direct madness ; it puts a man wholly
out of his own power, and makes him do such things as
himself in his sober temper abhors ; how many men have
done those things in their rage which they have repented all
their lives after ? And therefore surely as much as a man is
more honourable than a beast, a sober man than a mad man ;
so much hath this virtue of Meekness the advantage of
honour above the contrary vice of Anger.
19. Again, Meekness makes any condition tolerable and
easy to be endured. He that meekly bears any suffering,
takes off the edge of it that it cannot wound him ; whereas he
that frets and rages at it, whets it and makes it much sharper
than it would be ; nay in some cases makes that so, which
would not else be so at all. As particularly in the case of
reproachful words, which in themselves can do us no harm,
they neither hurt our bodies nor lessen our estates, the only
mischief they can do us is to make us angry, and then our
anger may do us many more ; whereas he that meekly passes
them by is never the worse for them, nay the better ; for he
shall be rewarded by God for that patience. Much more
might be said to recommend this virtue to us, in respect of
our own present advantage, but I suppose this may suffice
to persuade men to esteem of it. The harder matter will be
to gain them to the practice of it, wherein men pretend I
know not what difficulties of natural constitutions, and the
like ; yet sure there is no man of so choleric a temper, but
SUNDAY VI.J VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. 129
if he did heartily set about it, would find it were not impossi-
ble in some good measure to subdue it ; but then he must be
diligent in using means to that end. Divers of these means
there are, I shall mention some few.
20. As first, the imprinting deep in our minds the loveli-
ness and benefits of Meekness, together
with the uorliness and mischiefs of anger.
TAINING IT
Secondly, to set before us the example of
Christ, who endured all reproaches, yea, torments with per-
fect patience, that was led as a sheep to the slaughter,
Isaiah liii. 7, That when he was reviled, reviled not again,
ivhen he suffered, threatened not, 1 Pet. ii. 23. And if he,
the Lord of Glory, suffered thus meekly and unjustly from
his own creatures, with what face can we ever complain of
any injury done to us ? Thirdly, to be very watchful to pre-
vent the very first beginnings of anger, and to that purpose
to mortify all inward peevishness and frowardness of mind,
which is a sin in itself, though it proceed no further, but will
also be sure, if it be cherished, to break out into open effects
of anger. Therefore whenever thou findest the least arising
of it within thee, make as much haste to check it, as thou
wouldst to quench a fire in thy house ; but be sure thou
bring no fuel to it, by entertaining any thoughts that may
increase it. And at such time especially keep a most strict
watch over thy tongue, that it break not out into angry
speeches, for that breath will fan the fire, not only in thine
adversary, but thyself too ; therefore though thy heart be
hot within, stifle the flame, and let it not break out ; and the
greater the temptation is, the more earnestly lift up thy heart
to God to assist thee to overcome it. Fourthly, often re-
member how great punishments thy sins have deserved, and
then, whether thy sufferings be from God or man, thou wilt
acknowledge them to be far short of what is due to thee, and
therefore wilt be ashamed to be impenitent at them.
21. The third virtue is Consideration, and this in a most
special manner we owe to our souls. For
-.1, ^ -x in V 1 • A consideration.
without it we shall, as rash unadvised
people are used to do, rush them into infinite perils. Now
this Consideration is either of our State, or
c A ,• T3 c<x X T OF OUR STATE.
01 our Actions. By our btate, 1 mean
what our condition is to God-ward, whether it be such that
we may reasonably conclude ourselves in his favour. This
130 VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. [sUNDAY VI.
it much concerns us to consider and examine : and that not
by those easy rules men are apt to frame to themselves, as
whether they believe that Christ died for their sins ; that
they are of the number of the elect, and shall certainly be
saved : if these and the like were all that were required to
put us into God's favour, none but some melancholy person
could ever be out of it ; for we are apt enough generally to
believe comfortably of ourselves. But the Rules God hath
given us in his Word are those by which we must be tried
at the last day, and therefore are certainly
THE RULE BY ^, i c u v.* V. ^ 4
the only safe ones by which to try our-
WHICH TO TRY , •' k A ^x. r *U
selves now. And the sum ot those are,
that whosoever continues in any one wilful
sin, is not in his favour, nor can, if he do so die, hope for
any mercy at his hand.
22. Now it is highly necessary we should consider what
our condition is in this respect : for since our life is nothing
but a puff of breath in our nostrils, which may for aught we
know be taken from us the next minute, it nearly concerns us
to know how we are provided for another world, that so in
case we want at present that oil in our lamps wherewith we
are to meet the bridegroom. Matt. xxv. 8, we may timely
get it, and not for want of it be ever shut
THE DANGER ^ ^ i-, ,\^ c v \^ • • r u-
out like the loohsh virgins from his pre-
OF INCONSIDER- rr<, , , r°i • ^ • , \.
sence. 1 he neglect ot this Consideration
hath undone many souls, some by too easy
a belief that they were in a good condition, without consider-
ing and trying themselves by the foregoing Rule, but pre-
suming either upon some slight outward performances, or
upon such a false faith as I even now described ; others by
the wretched careless going on, without so much as asking
themselves what their condition is, but hope they should do
as well as their neighbours, and so never inquiring farther ;
which wretched carelessness will as certainly undo the
spiritual, as the like would do the temporal estate ; yet in
that every man is wise enough to foresee, that a man that
never takes any accounts of his estate, to see whether he be
worth something or nothing, will be sure to be a beggar in
the end. But in this far weightier matter we can generally
be thus improvident.
23. The second thing we are to consider is our Actions,
and those either before or after we are to consider before we
SUNDAY VI.] VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. 131
act, and not to do any thing rashly or
headily ; but first, to advise with our con- ^^^ actions.
sciences, whether this be lawful to be done,
for he that follows his own inclination, and "^^^^^ ^e do
does every thing which that moves him to, them.
shall be sure to fall into a multitude of sins. Therefore con-
sider soberly, and be assured of the lawfulness of the thing
before thou venture to do it. This advisedness is in all world-
ly things accounted so necessary a part of wisdom, that no
man is accounted wise without it ; a rash man we look upon
as the next degree to a fool. And yet it is sure, there is not
so much need of looking about us in any thing as in what con-
cerns our souls, and that not only in respect of the great value
of them above all things else, but also in regard of the great
danger they are in, as hath been showed more at large in the
beginning of the treatise.
24. Secondly, we are to consider the actions when they
are past also, that is, we are to examine
whether they have been such as are allow- after they are
able by the Laws of Christ. This is very ^^^*
necessary whether they be good or bad ; if they be good, the
recalling them helpeth us to the comfort of a good conscience,
and that comfort again encourageth us to go on in the like ;
and besides it stirs us up to thankfulness to God, by whose
grace alone we were enabled to do them. But if they be bad,
then it is especially necessary that we thus examine them, for
without this it is impossible we should ever come to amend-
ment, for unless we observe them to have been amiss, we
can never think it needful to amend, but shall still run on
from one wickedness to another, which is the greatest curse
any man can lie under.
25. The oftener therefore we use this Consideration, the
better, for the less likely it is that any of
our sins shall escape our knowledge. It is kequenci of
much to be wished that every man would consideration.
thus every night try the actions of the day, that so, if he
have done any thing amiss, he may soon check himself for
it, and settle his resolutions against it, and not let it grow on
to a habit and course. And that he may also early beg
God's pardon, which will the easier be had the sooner it is
asked, every delay of that being a great increase of the sin.
And surely whoever means to take an account of himself at
all, will find this the easier course ; it being much easier to
132 VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. [sUNDAY VII.
do it SO a little at a time, and while passages are fresh in his
memory, than to take the account of a long time together.
Now if it be considered, that every wilful
DANGER OF ^^^ must havc a particular repentance before
OMITTING IT. ^^ ^^^ ^^ pardoned, methinks men should
tremble to sleep without that repentance ; for what assurance
hath any man that lies down in his bed, that he shall ever
rise again ? And then how dangerous is the condition of that
man that sleeps in an unrepented sin ! The weighing of
these several Motives may be a means, by God's blessing,
to bring us to the practice of this duty of Consideration in
all the parts of it.
SUNDAY vil.
Of Contentedness and the Contraries to it ; Murmuring, Ambition, Cove-
tousness. Envy ; Helps to Contentedness. Of Duties which concern
our Bodies: of Chastity, &c. ; Helps to it. Of Temperance.
The fourth Virtue is Contentedness, and this surely is
a duty we must owe to ourselves, it being
CONTENTED" ' o
that without which it is impossible to be
happy. This Contentedness is a well-
pleasedness with that condition, whatever it is, that God
hath placed us in, not murmuring and repining at our lot, but
cheerfully welcoming whatsoever God sends. How great,
and withal how pleasant a virtue this is, may appear by the
contrariety it hath to several great and painful vices ; so that
where this is rooted in the heart, it subdues not only some
such single sin, but a cluster of them together.
2. And first, it is contrary to all Murmuring in general,
which is a sin most hateful to God, as may
CONTRARY TO u i," i, • u . c -.
appear by his sharp punishments oi it on
MURMURING. ,if^T v. • xi -n
the Israelites m the wilderness, as you may
read in several places of the books of Exodus and Numbers.
And surely it is also very painful and uneasy to a man's
self; for if, as the Psalmist saith, it be a joyful and pleasant
thing to be thankful, we may by the rule of contraries con-
clude, it is a sad and unpleasant thing to be murmuring ; and,
I doubt not, every man's own experience will confirm the
truth of it.
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. 133
3. Secondly, it is contrary to Ambition : the ambitious
man is always disliking his present condi-
1 ^1 X 1 I,- 1 ^ 1 TO AMBITION.
tion, and that makes him so greedy to seek
a higher : whereas, he that is content with his own, lies quite
out of the road of his temptation. Now Ambition is not
only a great sin in itself, but it puts men upon many other :
there is nothing so horrid, which a man that eagerly seeks
greatness will stick at ; lying, perjury, murder, or any thing
will down with him, if they seem to tend to his advance-
ment. And the uneasiness of it is answerable to the sin.
This none can doubt of, that considers what a multitude of
fears and jealousies, cares, and distractions there are, that
attend ambition in its progress, besides the great and public
ruins that usually befall it in the end. And, therefore, sure
Contentedness is in this respect as well a happiness as a
virtue.
4. Thirdly, it is contrary to Covetousness ; this the Apos-
tle witnesseth, Heb. xiii. 5, Let your con-
versation be without covetousness, and be ^'
content with such things as you have:
where you see contentedness is set as the direct contrary to
covetousness. But of this there needs not other proof than
common experience : for we see the covetous man never
thinks he hath enough ; and, therefore, can never be content ;
for no man can be said to be so, that thirsts after any thing
he hath not. Now that you may see how excellent and
necessary a virtue this is that secures us against covetous-
ness, it will not be amiss a little to consider the nature of that
sin.
5. That it is a very great crime, is most certain, for it is
contrary to the very foundation of all good
IT T ^u xi ^ T\ J.- ^ covetousness
life, I mean those three great Duties, to
^ T , , , ? , , x^ , CONTRARY TO
God, to ourselves, to our neighbours. I irst,
* • . 1 ^ ^ 4. r^ A *\. I OUR DUTY TO
It is SO contrary to our Duty to God, that
Christ himself tells us, Luke xvi. 13, We
cannot serve God and Mammon : he that sets his heart
upon wealth, must necessarily take it off from God. And
this we daily see in the covetous man's practice : he is so
eager in the gaining of riches, that he hath no time or care
to perform duty to God ; let but a good bargain, or oppor-
tunity of gain come in his way, Prayer and all duties of
Religion must be neglected to attend it. Nay, when the com-
mitting the greatest sin against God may be likely either to
12*
134 VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. [sUNDAY VII.
get or save him ought, his love of wealth quickly persuades
him to commit it.
6. Secondly, it is contrary to the duty we owe ourselves,
and that both in respect of our Souls and
TO OURSELVES, g^^-gg^ ^j^g covctous man despises his
Soul, sells that to eternal destruction for a little pelf: for so
every man does that by any unlawful means seeks to enrich
himself ; nay, though he do it not by unlawful means, yet if
he have once set his heart upon wealth, he is that covetous
person upon whom the Apostle hath pronounced, that he
shall not enter into the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 10. —
Nor doth he only offend against his Soul, but his Body too ;
for he often denies that those necessary refreshments it wants,
and for which his wealth (as far as concerns himself) was
given him. This is so constantly the custom of rich misers,
that I need not prove it to you.
7. In the third place, Covetousness is contrary to the duty
we owe to our Neighbours. And that in
TO OUR NEIGH- ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ . Justice and Charity :
he that loves money immoderately, will not
care whom he cheats and defrauds, so he may bring in gain
to himself; and from hence spring those many tricks of
deceit and cozenage so common in the world. As for Cha-
rity, that is never to be hoped for from a covetous man, who
dreads the lessening of his own heaps more than the starving
of his poor brother. You see how great a sin this is, that
we may well say of it as the Apostle doth, 1 Tim. vi. 10,
The love of money is the root of all evil. And it is not
much less uneasy than wicked, for between the care of
getting and the fear of losing, the covetous man enjoys no
quiet hour. Therefore, every man is deeply concerned, as
he tenders his happiness either in this world or the next, to
guard himself against this sin ; which he can no way do,
but by possessing his heart with this virtue of Contented-
ness.
8. In the fourth place, it is contrary to Envy ; for he that
is content with his own condition hath no
CONTENTEDNESS . ^ ,• , ^V, > tt
temptation to envy another s. How un-
CONTRARY i ^ ^- • ^i • r • i n u
christian a sin this ot envy is, shall here-
after be showed. At the present, I need
say no more, but that it is also a very uneasy one, it frets
and gnaws the very heart of him that harbours it. But the
worse this sin is, the more excellent still is this grace of con-
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. 135
tnntedness, which frees us from it. I suppose I have said
enough to make you think this is a very lovely and desirable
virtue. And sure it were not impossible to be gained by
any, that would but observe these few directions.
9. First, To consider that whatever our estate and condi-
tion in any respect be, it is that which is
allotted us by God ; and, therefore, is cer- "^^^^ ^^ ^^^'
tainly the best for us, he being much better
able to judge for us, than we for ourselves ; and, therefore, to
be displeased at it, is in effect to say, we are wiser than he.
Secondly, consider throughly the vanity of all worldly
things, how very little there is in them ; while we have them ;
and how uncertain Ave are to keep them ; but above all, in
how little stead they will stand us at the day of death or
judgment, and then thou canst not think any of them much
worth the desiring, and so wilt not be discontented for want
of them. Thirdly, suffer not thy fancy to run on things thou
hast not ; many have put themselves out of love with what
they have, only by thinking what they want. He that sees
his neighbour possess somewhat, which himself hath not, is
apt to think how happy he should be, if he were in that
man's condition, and in the mean time never thinks of enjoy-
ing his own, which yet perhaps in many respects may be
much happier than that of his neighbour's which he so much
admires. For we look but upon the outside of other men's
conditions, and many a man that is envied by his neighbours,
as a wonderful happy person, hath yet some secret trouble,
which makes him think much otherwise of himself. There-
fore, never compare thy condition in any thing with those
thou countest more prosperous than thyself, but rather do it
with those thou knowest more unhappy, and then thou wilt
find cause to rejoice in thine own portion. Fourthly, con-
sider how far thou art from deserving any good thing from
God, and then thou canst not but with Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10,
confess that thou art 7iot worth the least of those mercies
thou enjoyest, and instead of murmuring that they are no
more, wilt see reason to admire, and praise the bounty of
God, that they are so many. Fifthly, be often thinking of
the joys laid up for thee in Heaven : look upon that as thy
home, on this world only as an Inn, where thou art fain to
take up in thy passage ; and then as a Traveller expects not
the same conveniences at an Inn, that he hath at home ; so
thou hast reason to be content with whatever entertainment
136 VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE. [sUNDAY VII.
thou findest here, knowing thou art upon thy journey to a
place of infinite happiness, which will make an abundant
amends for all the uneasiness and hardship thou canst suffer
in the way. Lastly, pray to God, from whom all good things
do come, that he will to all his other blessings add this of a
contented mind, without which thou canst have no taste or
relish of any other.
10. A fifth Duty is Diligence : this is made up of two
parts, watchfulness, and industry, and both
DILIGENCE. ^j^^gg ^g ^^^^g ^^ ^^^ g^^jg^
11. First, Watchfulness, in observing all the dangers that
threaten them. Now since nothing can
WATCHFULNESS g^jg^j^ggj. ^^^ gQ^Jg^ ^^t gj^^ t^js Watchful-
AGAiNS .j ^ggg .g principally to be employed against
that : and as in a besieged city where there is any weak part,
there it is necessary to keep the strongest guard ; so it is
here, wherever thou findest thy inclinations such as are most
likely to betray thee into sin, there it concerns thee to be
especially watchful : observe, therefore, carefully to what
sins either thy natural temper, thy company, or thy course
of life do particularly incline thee, and watch thyself very
narrowly in those ; yet do not so lay out all thy care on
those, as to leave thyself open to any other, for that may
give Satan as much advantage on the other side ; but let thy
watch be general, against all sin, though in a special manner
against those which are like oftenest to assault thee.
12. The second part of diligence, is Industry or Labour ;
and this also we owe to our souls, for with-
INDUSTRY IN ^^^ -^ ^^^^ ^.^j ^^ j.^^j^ prospcr as the vine-
yard of the sluffsrard ; which Solomon
describes, Prov. xxiv. 30. For there is a
husbandry of the Soul, as well as of the estate, and the end
of the one, as the other, is the increasing and improving of
its riches. Now the riches of the Soul are either Natural or
Divine. By the natural I mean its faculties or reason, wit,
memory, and the like ; by the Divine I mean the graces of
God, which are not the Soul's Natural portion, but are given
immediately by God ; and both these we are to take care
to improve, they being both talents intrusted to us for that
purpose.
13. The way of improving the Natural is by employing
them so, as may bring in most honour to
OF NATURE. ^^^ . ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ j.^ .^j^ ^^ ^^
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE. 137
through sloth, neither must we overwhelm them with intem-
perance and brutish pleasures, which is the case of too many,
but we must employ them, and set them on work. But then
we must be sure it be not in the Devil's service ; like many,
who set their wit only to the profaning of God, or cheating
their neighbours, and stuff their memories with such filthi-
ness, as should never once enter their thoughts ; our use of
them must be such, as may bring in most glory to God, most
benefit to our neighbours, and may best fit us to make our
accounts, when God shall come to reckon with us for them.
14. But the other part of the Soul's riches is yet more
precious, that is, Grace ; and of this we
must be especially careful, to husband and
improve it. This is a duty expressly commanded us by the
Apostle, 2 Pet. iii. 18, Grow in grace. And again, in the
first chapter of that epistle, verse 5, Give all diligence to
add to your Faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, 8fc. —
Now the especial means of improving grace is by employing
it, that is, by doing those things for the enabling of us, where-
unto it was given us : this is a sure means, not only in respect
of that easiness, which a custom of any thing brings in the
doing of it, but principally, as it hath the promise of God,
who hath promised, Ma.tt. xxv. 29, that to him that hath
(that is, hath made use of what he hath) shall he given, and
he shall have abundance. He that diligently and faithfully
employs the first beginnings of grace, shall yet have more,
and he that in like manner husbands that more, shall yet
have a greater degree ; so that what Solomon saith of temporal
riches, is also true of spiritual, TJie hand of the diligent
rnaketh rich.
15. Therefore whenever thou findest any good motions
in thy heart, remember that is a season for
this spiritual husbandry : if thou hast but
x^ \ c • -4. a GOOD MOTIONS.
a check of conscience against any sm thou
livest in, drive that on till it come to a hatred ; and then that
hatred, till it come to resolution ; then from that resolution,
proceed to some endeavours against it. Do this faithfully,
and sincerely, and thou shalt certainly find the grace of God
assisting thee, not only in every of these steps, but also en-
abling thee to advance still higher, till thou come to some
victory over it. Yet to this industry thou must not fail to
add thy prayers also, there being a promise that God will
give the holy spirit to them that ask it, Luke xi. 13.
12*
138 VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. [sUNDAY VII.
And therefore they that ask it not, have no reason to expect
it. But it must be asked with such an earnestness, as is
some way answerable to the vakie of the thing, which being
infinitely more precious than all the world, both in respect
of its own worth, and its usefulness to us, we must beg it
with much more zeal and earnestness, than all temporal
blessings, or else we show ourselves despisers of it.
1 6. Having directed you to the means of improving grace,
I shall to quicken you to it mention the
THE DANGER OF
great danger of the contrary, and that is not
THE CONTRARY. ^^ .^^ ^^^^^ ^^^.^^^^^ ^j^^ j^^-^^ ^^j^ ^^^^^
further degrees, which our industry might have helped us to,
but it is the losing even of what we already have ; For from
him that hath not (that is again, hath not made use of what
he hath) shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Matt. xxv. 29. God will withdraw the grace, which he
sees so neglected, as we see in that parable ; the Talent
was taken from him that had only hid it in a Napkin, and
had brought in no gain to his Lord. And this is a most sad
punishment, the greatest that can befall any man, before he
comes to hell, indeed it is some kind of foretaste of it, it is
the delivering him up to the power of the devil, and it is the
banishing him from the face of God, which are not the least
parts of the misery of the damned. And it is also the bind-
ing a man over to that fuller portion of wretchedness in
another world ; for that is the last doom of the unprofitable
servant. Matt. xxv. 30, Cast ye the unprofitable servant
into outer darkness, there shall be iveeping and gnashing
of teeth. You see there are no light dangers that attend this
neglect of grace, and therefore if we have any love, nay, any
common pity to our souls, we must set ourselves to this in-
dustry. I have now done with those Virtues which respect
our Souls, I come now to those which concern our Bodies.
17. The first of which is Chastity or Purity, which
may well be set in the front of the duties
CHASTITY. •'^ ^ , ,. . a A .1
we owe to our bodies, smce the Apostle,
1 Cor. vi, 18, sets the contrary as the especial sin against
them. He that committeth fornication, sinneth against his
own body.
18. Now this virtue of Chastity consists in a perfect ab-
staining from all kinds of uncleanness ; not only that of
adultery, and fornication, but all other more unnatural sorts
of it committed either upon ourselves or with any other.
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF ClIASTITV. 139
In a word, all acts of that kind are utterly against Chastity,
save only in lawful marriage. And even there men are not
to think themselves let loose to please their brutish appetites,
but are to keep themselves within such rules of moderation,
as agree to the ends of marriage, which being these two, the
begetting of Children, and the avoiding of fornication, nothing
must be done which may hinder the first of these ends ; and
the second aiming only at the subduing of lust, the keeping
men from any sinful effects of it, is very contrary to that end
to make marriage an occasion of heightening and inflaming it.
19. But this virtue of Chastity reacheth not only to the
restraining of the grosser act, but to all
lower degrees : it sets a guard upon our uncleanneso
eyes, according to that of our Saviour, forbidden in
Matt. v. 28, He that looketh on a ivoman "^"^ ^^^^ ^^^"
to lust after her, hath committed adultery ^^'^ degrees.
ivith her already in his heart ; and upon our hand, as ap-
pears by what Christ adds in that place. If thy hand offend
thee, cut it off; so also upon our tongues, that they speak
no immodest or filthy words, Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth, Ephes. iv. 29. Nay upon our
very thoughts and fancies ; we must not entertain any foul
or filthy desires, not so much as the imagination of any such
thing. Therefore he that forbears the grosser act, and yet
allows himself in any of these, it is to be suspected that it is
rather some outward restraint that keeps him from it than
the conscience of the sin. For if it were that, it would keep
him from these too, these being sins also, and very great
ones in God's sight. Besides, he that lets hims<3lf loose to
these, puts himself in very great danger of the other, it being
much more easy to abstain from all, than to secure ao-ainst
the one, when the other is allowed. But above all, it is to
be considered that even these lower degrees are such as
make men very odious in God's eyes, who seeth the heart,
and loves none that are not pure there.
20. The loveliness of this Virtue of Chastity needs no
other way of describing, than bv consider-
ing the loathsomeness and mischiefs of the "^"^ mischiefs
contrary sin, which is, first, very brutish ; ^ ^^'
those desires are but the same that the beasts have, and then
how far are they sunk below the nature of men, that can
boast of their sins of that kind, as of their special excellency?
When if that be the measure, a goat is the most excellent
140 VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. [sUNDAY VII.
creature. But indeed they that eagerly pursue this part of
bestiahty, do often leave themselves little, besides their hu-
man shape, to difference them from beasts : this sin so clouds
the understanding, and defaceth the reason-
To THE SOUL. ^^^^ ^^^^^^ Therefore Solomon very well
describes the young man that was going to the harlot's house,
Piiov. vii. 22, He goeth after her as an ox goeth to the
slaughter.
21. Nor, secondly, are the effects of it better to the body
than to the mind. The many foul and
filthy, besides painful diseases, which often
follow this sin, are sufficient witnesses how mischievous it
is to the Body. And alas, how many are there that have
thus made themselves the devil's martyrs ! suffered such
torments in the pursuit of this sin, as would exceed the in-
vention of the greatest tyrant ! Surely they that pay thus
dear for damnation, very well deserve to enjoy the purchase.
22. But thirdly, besides the natural fruits of this sin ; it is
attended with very ffreat and heavy iudff-
JUDGMENTS OF . r r^ 1 4.^ * ^ J-
ments from God ; the most extraordmary
' and miraculous judgment that ever befell
any place, fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom and
Gomorrah, was for this sin of uncleanness. And many ex-
amples likewise of God's vengeance may be observed upon
particular persons, for this sin. The incest of Amnon cost
him his life, as you may read, 2 Sam. xiii. Zimri and Cosbi
were slain in the very act. Numb. xxv. 8. And no person
that commits the like, hath any assurance it shall not be his
own case. For how secredy soever it be committed, it can-
not be hid from God, who is the sure avenger of all such
wickedness. Nay, God hath very particularly threatened
this sin, 1 Cor. iii. 17, If any man defile the Temple of God,
him shall God destroy. This sin of uncleanness is a kind
of sacrilege, a polluting those bodies, which God hath chosen
for his temples, and therefore no wonder, if it be thus hea-
vily punished.
23. Lastly, this sin shuts us out from the kingdom of
Heaven, wherein no impure thinor can enter.
IT SHUTS OUT .1 ^1 '^ 1- . n^.-.
And we never find any list ot those sms
^^^" ' which bar men thence, but this of unclean-
ness hath a special place in it. Thus it is. Gal. v. 19, and
so again, 1 Cor. vi. 9. If we will thus pollute ourselves, we
are fit company only for those black spirits, the devil and his
SUNDAY Vll.] VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. 141
angels, and therefore with them we must expect our portion,
where our flames of lust shall end in flames of fire.
24. All this laid together, may surely recommend the vir-
tue of Chastity to us, for the preservinor of
which we must be very careful, first to
check the beginnings of the temptation, to
cast away the very first fancy of lust with indignation ; for
if you once fall to parley and talk with it, it gains still more
upon you, and then it will be harder to resist : therefore your
way in this temptation is to fly rather than fight with it.
This is very necessary, not only that we may avoid the dan-
ger of proceeding to act the sin, but also in respect of the
present fault of entertaining such fancies, which of itself,
though it should never proceed further, is as hath been
showed, a great abomination before God. Secondly, have a
special care to fly idleness, which is the proper soil for these
filthy weeds to grow in, and keep thyself always busied in
some innocent or virtuous employment : for then these fan-
cies will be less apt to oflTer themselves. Thirdly, never
suffer thyself to recall any unclean passages of thy former
life with delight, for that is to act over the sin again, and will
be so reckoned by God ; nay, perhaps thus deliberately to
think of it, may be a greater guilt than a rash acting of it.
For this both shows thy heart to be set upon filthiness, and
is also a preparation to more acts of it. Fourthly, forbear
the company of such light and wanton persons, as either by
the filthhiess of their discourse, or any other means may be
a snare to thee. Fifthly, pray earnestly that God would
give thee the Spirit of Purity, especially at the time of any
present temptation. Bring the unclean devil to Christ to be
cast out, as did the man in the gospel ; and if it will not be
cast out with prayer alone, add fasting to it ; but be sure
thou do not keep up the flame by any high or immoderate
feeding. The last remedy, when the former prove vain, is
marriage, which becomes a duty to him that cannot live in-
nocently without it. But even here there must be care
taken, lest this, which should be for his good, become not to
him an occasion of falling for want of sobriety in the use of
marriage. But this I have touched on already, and therefore
need add no more but an earnest entreaty, that men would
consider seriously of the foulness and danger of this sin of
uncleanness, and not let the commonness of it lessen their
142 VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE. [sUNDAY VII.
hatred of it, but rather make them abhor that shameless
impudence of the w^orld, that can make Ught of this sin
against which God hath pronounced such heavy curses :
Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, Heb. xiii.
4 ; and so he will certainly do all sorts of unclean persons
whatsoever.
25. The second Virtue that concerns our bodies, is Tem-
perance : and the exercises of that are
temperance. ^jj^gj,g. ^g^ firsts Temperance in eating;
secondly, in drinking ; thirdly, in sleep ; fourthly, in recrea-
tion ; fifthly, in apparel. I shall speak of them severally ;
and first, of Temperance in Eating. This
1 ea I G. temperance is observed when our eating is
agreeable to those ends to which eating is
ends of eat- ^y Q^^ ^^^ nature designed; those are
first, the being ; secondly, the well-being
of our bodies.
26. Man is of such a frame, that eating becomes necessary
to him for the preserving his life ; hunger
preserving of , • X 1 T V,- 1, 11
bemg a natural disease which will prove
deadly if not prevented, and the only phy-
sic for it is eating, which is therefore become a necessary
means of keeping us alive. And that is the first end of eat-
ing, and as men use not to take physic for pleasure, but
remedy, so neither should they eat.
27. But secondly, God hath been so bountiful as to pro-
vide not only for the being, but the well-
being of our bodies ; and, therefore, we are
not tied to such strictness, that we may eat no more than
will just keep us from starving, but we may also eat what-
soever either for kind or quantity most tends to the health
and welfare of them. Now that eating which is agreeable
to these ends is within the bounds of temperance, as on the
contrary, whatsoever is contrary to them is a transgression
against it ; he, therefore, that sets up to himself other ends
of eating, as either the pleasing of his taste, or (what is yet
worse) the pampering of his body, that he may the better
serve his lust, he directly thwarts and crosses these ends of
God : for he that hath those aims doth that which is very
contrary to health, yea, to life itself, as appears by the many
diseases and untimely deaths which surfeiting and unclean-
ness daily bring on men.
RULES OF TEM-
PERANCE IN
EATING.
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE. 143
28. He, therefory, that will practise this Virtue of Tem-
perance, must neither eat so much, nor of
any such sorts of meat (provided he can
have other) as may be hurtful to his health :
what the sorts or qualities shall be, is im-
possible to set down, for that differs according to the several
constitutions of men : some men may with temperance eat
a great deal, because their stomachs require it ; when an-
other may be guilty of intemperance in eating but half so
much, because it is more than is useful to him. And so also
for the sort of meat, it may be niceness and luxury for some
to be curious in them, when yet some degree of it may be
necessary to the infirmities of a weak stomach, which not
out of wantonness but disease cannot eat the coarser meats.
But I think it may in general be said, that to healthful bodies
the plainest meats are generally the most wholesome ; but
every man must in this be left to judge for himself; and that
he may do it aright, he must be careful that he never suffer
himself to be enslaved to his palate, for that will be sure to
satisfy itself, whatever becomes of health or life.
29. To secure him the better, let him consider. First, how
unreasonable a thing it is that the whole
body should be subjected to this one sense ^ ^^*
of tasting, that it must run all hazards only to please that.
But it is yet much more so, that the diviner part, the soul,
should also be thus enslaved ; and yet thus it is in an intem-
perate person, his very soul must be sacrificed to this brutish
appetite ; for the sin of intemperance, though it be acted by
the body, yet the soul must share in the eternal punishment
of it. Secondly, consider how extreme short and vanishing
this pleasure is, it is gone in a moment ; but the pains that
attend the excess of it are much more durable, and then
surely it agrees not with that common reason, wherewith, as
men we are indued, to set our hearts upon it. But then in
the third place, it agrees yet worse with the temper of a
Christian, who should have his heart so purified and refined
with the expectation of those higher and spiritual joys he
looks for in another world, that he should very much despise
these gross and brutish pleasures, which beasts are as capa-
ble of as we, and to them we may well be contented to leave
them, it being the highest their natures can reach to ; but
for us who have so much more excellent hopes, it is an into-
lerable shame that we should account them as any part of
144 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII.
our happiness. Lastly, the sin of Gluttony is so great and
dangerous, that Christ thought fit to give an especial warning
against it. Take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not
over-charged with surfeiting^ ^"C. Luke xxi. 34. . And you
know what was the end of the rich glutton, Luke xvi. He
that had fared deliciously every day, at last wants a drop
of water to cool his tongue. So much for the first sort of
temperance, that of eating.
SUNDAY VIII.
Of Temperance in Drinking. False Ends of Drinking, viz. Good-fel-
lowship, putting away Cares, &c.
The second is Temperance in Drinking; and the ends of
eating and drinking bein^ much the same,
temperance IN t • .1. J- f 1 • *i.- *v,
1 can give no other direct rules in this, than
DRINKING. T . ^ • • .1. r . •* *u 4.
what were given in the former, to wit, that
we drink neither of such sorts of liquor, nor in such quanti-
ties as may not agree with the right ends of drinking, the
preserving our lives and healths ; only in this there will be
need of putting in one caution ; for our understandings being
in more danger to be hurt by drinking than meat, we must
rather take care to keep that safe, and rather not drink what
we might safely in respect of our health, if it be in danger
to distemper our reason. This I say, because it is possible
some men's brains may be so weak that their heads cannot
bear that ordinary quantity of drink which would do their
bodies no harm. And whoever is of this temper, must
strictly abstain from that danger of drink, or that sort of it
which he finds hath that effect, yea, though it do in other
respects appear not only safe but useful to his health. For
though we are to preserve our healths, yet we are not to do
it by sin, as drunkenness most certainly is.
2. But alas ! of those multitudes of drunkards we have
in the world, this is the case but of very
FALSE ENDS OF r . r \i • r i 11,*
few, most of them ffoins: lar beyond what
DRINKING. ., • 1 1.1 . ^ ^ \
their health requires, yea, or can bear, even
to the utter destruction thereof. And, therefore, it is plain,
men have set up to themselves some other ends of drinking
than those allowable ones forementioned ; it may not be
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 145
amiss a little to explain what they are, and withal to show
the unreasonableness of them.
3. The first, and most owned, is that which they call
Good-Fellowship ; one man drinks to keep
,1 i. V T> X T iJ f GOOD-FELLOW-
another company at it. But 1 would ask
such a one, whether if that man were drink-
ing rank poison he would pledge him for company ? If he
say he would not, I must tell him, that by the very same,
nay, far greater reasons, he is not to do this. For immode-
rate drinking is that very poison ; perhaps it doth not always
work death immediate (yet there want not many instances
of its having done even that, very many have died in their
drunken fit) but that the custom of it does usually bring men
to their ends, is past doubt; and, therefore, though the poison
work slowly, yet it is still poison. But however, it doth at
the present work that which a wise man would more abhor
than death ; it works madness, and frenzy turns the man into
a beast, by drowning that reason which should difference him
from one. Certainly the effects of drink are such, that had
being drunk been first enjoined as a punishment, we should
have thought him a more than ordinary tyrant that had in-
vented it.
4. A second end of drinking is said to be the maintaining
of friendship and kindness amono^st men.
D i xT-- • : 1 ui xi, X PRESERVING OF
But this IS strangely unreasonable, that men
should do that towards the maintaining of
friendship, which is really the greatest mischief that can be
done to any man. Did ever any think to befriend a man by
helping to destroy his estate, his credit, his life ? Yet he
that thus drinks with a man does this and much more ; he
ruins his reason, yea, his soul, and yet this must be called
the way of preserving of friendship. This is so ridiculous,
that one would think none could own it but when he were
actually drunk. But besides, alas ! experience shows us,
that this is fitter to beget quarrels than preserve kindness, as
the many drunken brawls we every day see, with the wounds,
and sometimes murders that accompany them, do witness.
5. A third end is said to be the cheering of their spirits,
making them merry and jolly. But sure ^j_jj,j,j^jjj^j ^j^^
if the mirth be such that reason must be „,„,^„
SPIRITS
turned out of doors before it begin, it will
be very little worth; one may say with Solomon, Eccles.
ii. 2, The laughter of such fools is madness. And sure
13
146 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII.
they that will be drunk to put themselves in this temper,
must by the same reason be glad of a frenzy, if they could
but be sure it would be of the merry sort. But little do
these merry folks think what sadness they are all this while
heaping up to themselves, often in this world, when by some
mad pranks they play in their jollity, they bring mischief
upon themselves ; but, however, certainly in another, where
this mirth will be sadly reckoned for.
6. A fourth end is said to be the putting away of cares : but
I shall ask what those cares are ? Be they
PUTTING AWAY ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ p^^ ^^^^ ^ Perhaps they
CARES. ^^^ some checks and remorses of conscience,
which must be thus charmed. And I doubt this hath proved
too effectual with many to the laying them asleep. But this
is the wickedest folly in the world ; for if thou thinkest not
these checks to have something considerable in them, why do
they trouble thee ? But if thou do, it is impossible thou canst
hope this can long secure thee from them. Thou mayest thus
stop their mouths for awhile, but they will one day cry the
louder for it. Suppose a thief or a murderer knew he were
pursued to be brought to justice, would he, think you, to put
away the fear of being hanged, fall to drinking, and in the
mean time lake no care for his escape ? Or would you not
think him desperately mad, if he did ? Yet this is the very
case here, thy conscience tells thee of thy danger, that thou
must ere long be brought before God's judgment-seat ; and is
it not madness for thee, instead of endeavouring to get thy
pardon, to drink away the thought of thy danger ? But in the
second place, suppose these cares be some worldly ones,
and such as are fit to be put away ; then for shame do not so
disgrace thy Reason, thy Christianity, as not to let them be
as forcible to that end as a little drink. Thy reason will tell
thee it is in vain to care, where care will bring no advantage :
and thy Christianity will direct thee to one on whom thou
mayest safely cast all thy cares, for he careth for thee, 1 Pet.
V. 7. And therefore unless thou meanest to renounce being
both a man and a Christian, never betake thee this pitiful
shift to rid thee of thy cares. But besides this will not do
the deed neither, for though it may at the present, whilst
thou art in the height of the drunken fit, keep thee from the
sense of thy cares, yet when that is over, they will return
again with greater violence ; and, if thou hast any conscience,
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 147
bring a new care with them, even that which ariscth from
the guilt of so foul a sin.
7. A fifth end is said to be the passing away of Time.
This, though it be as unreasonable as any
of the former ; yet by the way, it serves to ssing away
reproach idleness, which is, it seems, so
burdensome a thing, that even this vilest employment is
preferred before it. But this is in many a very false plea ;
for they often spend time at the pot, not only when they
have nothing else to do, but even to the neglect of their most
necessary business. However it is in all a most unreason-
able one ; for there is no man but he may find somewhat or
other to employ himself in. If he have litde worldly business
of his own, he may yet do somewhat to the benefit of others ;
but however there is no man but hath a Soul, and if he will
look carefully to that, he need not complain for want of
business ; where there are so many corruptions to mortify,
so many inclinations to watch over, so many temptations
(whereof this of drunkenness is not the least) to resist, the
Graces of God to improve and stir up, and former neglects
of all these to lament, sure there can never want sufficient
employment ; for all these require time, and so men at their
deaths find ; for those that have all their lives made it their
business to drive away their time, would then give all the
world to redeem it. And sure where there is much leisure
from worldly afiairs, God expects to have the more time
thus employed in spiritual exercises. But it is not likely
those meaner sorts of persons, to whom this book is intended,
will be of the number of those that have much leisure, and
therefore I shall no farther insist on it ; only I shall say this :
that what degrees of leisure they at any time have, it con-
cerns them to employ to the benefit of their Souls, and not
to bestow it to the ruin of them, as they do, who spend it in
drinking.
8. A sixth end is said to be the preventing of that reproach
which is by the world cast on those that
will in this be stricter than their neighbours. eventing
But in answer to this, I shall first ask, what reproach.
is the harm of such reproach ? Sure it cannot equal the least
of those mischiefs drunkenness betrays us to. Nay, if we
will take our Saviour's word, it is a happiness, Blessed
saith he, are ye when men shall revile you, and say all
manner of evil against you for my sake, Matt. v. 11.
148 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII.
And St. Peter tells, 1 Pet. iv. 14, If ye be reproached for
the Name of Christ, happy are ye : and sure to be reproach-
ed for obedience to any command of Christ's, is to be re-
proached for his Name. Secondly, Let it be remembered
that at our Baptism we solemnly renounced the world ; and
shall we now so far consider it, as for a few scoffs of it to
run ourselves on all the temporal evils before mentioned ;
and which is much worse, the wrath of God and eternal
destruction ? But thirdly, if you fear reproach, why do ye
do that which will bring reproach upon you from all wise
and good men, whose opinion alone is to be regarded ? And
it is certain, drinking is the way to bring it on you from all
such. And to comfort thyself against that, by thinking thou
art still applauded by the foolish and worst sort of men, is
as if all the madmen in the world should agree to count
themselves the only sober persons, and all others mad, which
yet sure will never make them the less mad, nor others the
less sober. Lastly, consider the heavy doom Christ hath
pronounced on those that are ashamed of him, and so are all
those that for fear of reproach shall shrink from their obe-
dience to him, Matt. viii. 38, Whosoever shall he ashamed
of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful genera-
tion, of him shall the Son of man he ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of the Father with the holy Jingels.
There is none but will at that day desire to be owned by
Christ : but whoever will not here own him, that is, cleave
fast to his commands, notwithstanding all the scorns, nay,
persecutions of the world, shall then certainly be cast off by
him. And he that will adventure thus to maintain his credit
among a company of fools and madmen, deserves well to
have it befall him : but after all this, it is not sure that even
these will despise thee for thy sobriety : it is possible thej^
may seem to do so to fright thee out of it ; but if their hearts
were searched, it would be found they do even against their
wills bear a secret reverence to sober persons, and none fall
more often under their scorn and despising, than those that
run with them to the same excess of riot ; for even he that
sticks not to be drunk himself, will yet laugh at another that
he sees so.
9. There is a seventh end, which though every man thinks
too base to own, yet it is too plain it prevails
pleasure of ^^.^i^ j^^^^y . ^^j ^j^j^^ -g ^j^g |^^^,g pleasure
THE DRINK. ^^ ^^^ j^.-^j^ . ^^^ ^^ ^j^^g^ j COllfcSS it wiU
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 149
not be fit to say much ; for he that is come to this lament-
able decree of sottishness is not like to receive benefit by any
thing can be said: yet let me tell even this man that he of all
others hath the most means of discerning his fault ; for this
being such a ground of drinking as nobody will own, he is
condemned of himself, yea, and all his fellow-drimkards too ;
for their denying it is a plain sign they acknowledge it a most
abominable thing. And if Esau were called a profane person,
Heb. xii. 6, for selling but his birthright for a mess of pot-
tage, and that too Avhen he had the necessity of hunger upon
him ; what name of reproach can be bad enough for him who
sells his health, his reason, his God, his Soul, for a cup of
drink, and that when he is so far from needing it, that per-
haps he hath already more than he can keep ? I shall say no
more to this sort of persons, but let me warn all those that
go on in this sin on any of the former grounds, that a little
time will bring them even to this which they profess to loath ;
it being daily seen that those which first were drawn into the
sin for the love of the company, at last continue in it for love
of the drink. ^
10. I can think but of one end more, that is, that of Bar-
ffaininff. Men say it is necessary for them
T? ARC* ATVTTVP
to drink in this one respect, of trading with
their neighbours, bargains being most conveniently to be
struck up at such meetings. But this is yet a worse end than
all the rest, for the bottom of it is an aim of cheating and de-
frauding others ; we think when men are in drink we shall
the better be able to overreach them ; and so this adds the
sin of cozenage and defrauding to that of drunkenness. Now
that this is indeed the intent is manifest for if it were only
the dispatch of bargains were aimed at, we should choose to
take men with their wits about them : therefore the taking
them when drink hath distempered them can be nothing
but to take advantage of them. Yet this often proves a
great folly as well as a sin ; for he that drinks with another
in hope to overreach him, doth many times prove the weak-
er-brained, and becomes drunk first, and then he gives that
opportunity of cheating him, which he designed for the
cheating of the other. Now this end of drinking is so far
from becoming an excuse, that it is a huge heightening of
the sin ; for if we may not drink intemperately upon any
occasion, much less upon so wicked a one as is the cozening
and defrauding of our brethren.
13*
150 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIU.
11. I suppose I have now showed you the unreasonable-
ness of those motives, which are ordinarily
DEGREES OF ^pQUglit in excuse of this sin. I am yet
THIS SIN. further to tell you, that it is not only that
huge degree of drunkenness which makes men able neither
to go nor speak, which is to be looked on as a sin, but all
lower degrees, which do at all work upon the understanding,
Avhether by dulling it and making it less fit for any employ-
ment, or by making it too light and airy, apt to apish and
ridiculous mirth, or what is worse, by inflaming men into
rage and fury. These, or whatever else make any change
in the man, are to be reckoned in to this sin of drunkenness ;
nay, further, the drinking beyond the natural ends of drink-
ing, that is, beyond moderate refreshment, is a sin, though
by the strength of a man's brain it makes not the least change
in him ; and therefore those that are not actually drunk, yet
can spend whole days, or any considerable part of them in
drinking, are so far from being innocent, that that greater
woe belongs to them which is pronounced, Isaiah v. 22,
against those that are mighty to drii;k. For though such a
man may make a shift to preserve his wits, yet that wit serves
him to very little purpose, when his employment is still but
the same with him that is the most sottishly drunk, that is,
to pour down drink.
12. Nay, this man is guilty of the greatest waste: first,
of the good creatures of God ; that drink
which is by God's providence intended for
the refreshment and relieving of us, is
STRONG drink- , i J • x i, -^ • j i i
abused and misspent when it is drunk be-
yond that measure which those ends re-
quire ; and sure there is not the meanest of these creatures
we enjoy, but the abuse of them shall one day be accounted
for, and he that drinks longest hath the most of that guilt.
But in the second place, this is a waste of that which is
much more precious, our time, which is allowed us by God
to work out our salvation in, and must be strictly reckoned
for ; and, therefore, ought every minute of it to be most
thriftily husbanded to that end in actions of good life ; but
when it is thus laid out, it tends to the direct contrary, even
the working out our damnation. Besides, he that thus drinks,
though he escape being drunk himself, he is yet guilty of
all the drunkenness that any of his company fall under ; for
he gives them encouragement to drink on by his example,
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 151
especially if he be one of any authority ; but if he be one
whose company the rest are fond of, his company is then a
certain ensnaring of them, for then they will drink too, rather
than lose him. There is yet a greater fault that many of
these stronger brained drinkers are guilty of, that is, the set-
ting themselves purposely to make others drunk, playing, as
it were, a prize at it, and counting it matter of triumph and
victory to see others fall before them. This is a most horri-
ble wickedness, it is the making ourselves the devil's factors,
endeavouring all we can to draw our poor brethren into eter-
nal misery, by betraying them to so grievous a sin ; and,
therefore, it may well be reckoned as the highest step of this
vice of drinking, as having in it the sin of mischieving others
added to the excess in ourselves. And though it be looked
upon in the world as a matter only of jest and merriment to
make others drunk, that we may sport ourselves with their
ridiculous behaviour, yet that mirth will have a sad conclu-
sion, there being a woe expressly threatened by God to this
very sin, Hab. ii. 15, Woe unto him that giveth his neigh-
bour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him
drunk, that thou mayest look on their nakedness; and sure
he buys his idle pastime very dear, that takes it with such
a woe attending it.
13. I have now gone through the several motives to, and
degrees of this sin of drunkenness, where-
in I have been the more particular, because
., . . ^ , ^ . . ' ^ MISCHIEFS OF
it IS a Sin so strangely reigning amongst
j.^. 6^66 & THIS SIN.
us : no condition, no age, or scarce any sex,
free from it, to the great dishonour of God, reproach of
Christianity, and ruin, not only of our own souls hereafter,
but even of all our present advantages and happiness in this
life ; there being no sin which betrays each single committer
to more mischiefs in his understanding, his health, his credit,
his estate, than this one doth. And we have reason to be-
lieve this sin is one of those common crying guilts which
have long lain heavy upon this nation, and pulled down those
many judgments we have groaned under.
14. Therefore, Christian reader, let me now entreat, nay,
conjure thee by all that tenderness and love
.1 i./i ..1.1- rr-tj EXHORTATION
thou ouffhest to have to the honour oi God,
^, ?. c -L. r^\ • .• c • .TO FORSAKE IT.
the credit of thy Christian protession, eter-
nal welfare of thine own soul, the prosperity of the church
and nation whereof thou art a member ; nay, by that love
152 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII.
which certainly thou hast to thy own temporal welfare, to
think sadly of what hath been spoken ; and then judge whe-
ther there be any pleasure in this sin which can be any tole-
rable recompense for all those mischiefs it brings with it. I
am confident no man in his wits can think there is ; and if
there be not, then be ashamed to be any longer that fool,
which shall make so wretched a bargain, but begin at this
instant a firm and a faithful resolution, never once more to be
guilty of this swinish sin, how often soever thou hast here-
tofore fallen into it, and in the fear of God betake thee to a
strict temperance ; which when thou hast done, thou wilt
find thou hast made, not only a gainful, but a pleasant ex-
change ; for there is a man that hath tried both courses, but
his own heart will tell him there is infinitely more present
comfort and pleasure in sobriety and temperance, than ever
all his drunken revellings afforded him.
15. The main difficulty is the first breaking off the custom,
and that arises partly from ourselves, partly
THE DiFFicuL- ^^^^ others. That from ourselves may be
TIES OF DOING ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ . ^^^ ^^^^ -^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^
so CONSIDERED, j^^^.^ ^^ drinking, we have brought such
false thirsts upon ourselves, that our bodies seem to require
it, and this wants nothing but a little pa-
SEEMiNG NECES- ^.^^^^ ^^ Qvercomc. Do but refrain some
siTY OF DRINK. ^^^ days, and it will afterwards grow^ easy ;
for the darkness arising only from custom, the breaking off
that does the business. If thou say, it is very uneasy to do
so, consider, whether if thou had some disease which would
certainly kill thee if thou didst not for some little lime refrain
immoderate drinking, thou wouldst not rather forbear than
die. If thou wouldst not, thou art so brutish a sot, that it is
in vain to persuade thee ; but if thou hadst, then consider
how unreasonable it is for thee not to do it in this case also ;
the habit of drinking may well pass for a mortal disease, it
proves so very often to the body, but will most certainly to
the soul ; and, therefore, it is madness to stick at that unea-
siness in the cure of this, which thou wouldst submit to in
a less danger. Set, therefore, but a resolute purpose to en
dure that little trouble for a small time, and this first difficulty
is conquered, for after thou has awhile refrained, it will be
perfectly easy to do so still.
16. The second difficulty is that of spending the time,
which those that have made drinking their trade and busi-
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 153
ness, know scarce how to dispose of. But
the very naming of this difficulty directs to ^^^"^ ^^ ^^'
the cure ; get thee some business, some- loyment.
what to employ thyself in, which, as I have already showed,
will be easily found by all sorts of persons. But those
meaner to whom I now write can sure never want it ready
at hand, they being generally such as are to be maintained by
their labour ; and, therefore, to them I need only give this
advice, to be diligent ia that business they have, to follow
that close as they ought ; and they will have litde occasion
to seek out this way of spending their time.
17. There is another sort of difficulty, which I told you
arises from others, and that is either from
their persuasions or reproaches. It is very p^^^^suasions
likely if thy old companions see thee begin ^'^^ Reproach-
to fall off, they will set hard to thee, to ^^ ^^ ^^^•
bring thee back to thy old course, they will urge to thee the
unkindness of forsaking the company of thy friends, the
sadness of renouncing all that mirth and jollity, which good
fellows (as they call them) enjoy ; and if thou canst not thus
be won they will affright thee with the reproach of the
world, and so try if they can mock thee out of thy sobriety.
18. The way to overcome this difficulty is to foresee it;
therefore, when thou first enterest on thy
course of temperance, thou art to make
account thou shalt meet with these (per-
haps many other) temptations ; and that them.
thou mayest make a right judgment,- whether they be worthy
to prevail with thee, take them beforehand and weigh them ;
consider whether that false kindness that is maintained among
men by drinking be worthy to be com-
pared with that real and everlasting kind- ^^^^" '^^^ ^^'
ness of God, which is lost by it ; whether ^^^tage with
that foolish, vain mirth bear any weight
with the present joys of a good conscience here, or with
those greater of heaven hereafter. Lastly, whether the un-
just reproach of wicked men, the shame of the world be so
terrible as the just reproof of thine own conscience at the
present, and that eternal confusion of face that shall befall
all those that go on in this sin, at the last day ; weigh all
these, I say, I need not say in the balance of the sanctuary,
but even in the scales of common reason, and sure thou wilt
154 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII.
be forced to pronounce, that the motives to temperance infi-
nitely outweigh those against it. When thou hast thus
advisedly judged, then fix thy resolution accordingly ; and
whenever any of these temptations come to stagger thee,
remember thou hast formerly weighed them, knowest the
just value of them, and that they are a most unworthy price
for those precious advantages thou must give in exchange for
them. And, therefore, hold fast thy resolution, and with
indignation reject all motions to the contrary.
19. But be sure thou thus reject them at their very first
tender, and do not yield in the least de-
REJECT THE r -r j.\. • j. J xu
gree ; for if once thou givest ground, thou
TEMPTATION AT ^ , t ' .1 • ii u r**l A r**1
art lost, the sm will by little and little pre-
THE VERY BE- •, ,1 rr«i, u
vail upon thee. 1 hus we see many, who
have professed to be resolved upon great
temperance, yet for want of this care, have adventured into
the company of good fellows ; when they have been there,
they have at the first been over-entreated to take a cup,
after that another, till at last they have taken their rounds as
freely as any of them, and in that flood of drink drowned all
their sober resolutions. Therefore, whoever thou art, that
dost really desire to forsake the sin, take care to avoid the
occasions and beginnings of it ; to which end it will be good
openly to declare and own thy purposes of sobriety ; that so
thou mayest discourage men from assaulting thee. But if
either thou art ashamed to own it, or seemest to be so,
they will quickly make use of that shame to bring thee to
break it.
20. If thou be thus wary to keep thee from the first begin-
nings, thou art then sure never to be over-
THE SECURITY , i ^ .u *i,- • c * • ri *i, i
taken with this sin ; tor it is like the keep-
ing the outworks of a besieged city, which,
so long as they are stoutly defended, there is no danger ; but
if they be either surprised or yielded, the city cannot long
hold out. The advice therefore of the wise man is very
agreeable to this matter, Eccles. xix. 1, He that despiseth
small things shall perish by little and little. But because, as
the Psalmist saith, Psalm cxxvii. 1, Except the Lord keep
the city, the ivatchman waketh hut in vain : therefore to
this guard of thyself add thy most earnest prayers to God,
that he will also watch over thee, and by the strength of his
grace enable thee to resist all temptations to this sin.
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 155
21. If thou do in the sincerity of thy heart use these
means, there is no doubt but thou wiU be
able to overcome this vice, how long soever ^^
thou hast been accustomed to it ; therefore means
if thou do still remain under the power of inder-
it, never excuse thyself by the impossibi- love of
lity of the task, but rather accuse the false-
ness of thy own. heart, that hath still such a love to this sin,
that thou wilt not set roundly to the means of subduing it.
22. Perhaps the great commonness of the sin and thy
particular custom of it may have made it so
much thy familiar, thy bosom acquaintance,
that thou art loath to entertain hard thoughts ^^^^^ ^ ^^^
of it, very unwilling thou art to think that it ^^^'^^ ^^ ^^"
means thee any hurt, and therefore art apt
to speak peace to thyself, to hope that either
this is no sin, or at most but a frailty, such as will not bar
thee out of Heaven : but deceive not thyself, for thou may-
est as well say there is no heaven, as that drunkenness shall
not keep thee thence ; I am sure the same word of God which
tells us there is such a place of happiness, tells us also that
drunkards are of the number of those that shall not inherit
it, 1 Cor. vi. 10. And again. Gal. v. 21, Drunkenness is
reckoned among those works of the flesh, which they that
do shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And indeed,
had not those plain texts, yet mere reason would tell us the
same, that that is a place of infinite purity, such as flesh
and blood, till it be refined and purified, is not capable of, as
the apostle tells us, 1 Cor. xv. 53, and if as we are mere
men, we are too gross and impure for it, we must sure be
more so when we have changed ourselves into swine, the
foulest of beasts ; we are then prepared for the devils to enter
into, as they did into the herd, Mark v. 13, and that not
only some one or two, but a legion, a troop and multitude
of them. And of this we daily see examples ; for where
this sin of drunkenness hath taken possession, it usually
comes as an harbinger to abundance of others ; each act of
drunkenness prepares a man not only for another of the same
sin, but of others : lust and rage, and all brutish appetites are
then let loose, and so a man brings himself under that curse,
which was the saddest David knew how to foretell to any,
the falling from one wickedness to another. If all this be
not enough to aff'right thee out of this drunken fit, thou mayest
156 TEMPERANCE IN SLEEP. LSUNDAY IX.
Still wallow in thy vomit, continue in this sottish, senseless
condition, till the flames of Hell rouse thee, and then thou
wilt by sad experience find, what now thou wilt not believe,
that the end of those things, as the Apostle saith, Rom. vi.
21, is death. God in his infinite mercy timely awake the
hearts of all that are in this sin, that by a timely forsaking it
they may fly from the wrath to come. I have now done
with this second part of Temperance, concerning Drinking.
SUNDAY IX.
Temperance in Sleep : the Rule of it, &c. Mischiefs of Sloth. Of
Recreations : Cautions to be observed in them. Of Apparel, &c.
The third part of Temperance concerns Sleep : and Tem-
perance in that also must be measured by the
end for which Sleep was ordained by God,
which was only the refreshing and supporting of our frail
bodies, which being of such a temper that continual labour
and toil tires and wearies them out. Sleep comes as a medi-
cine to that weariness, as a repairer of that decay, that so we
may be enabled to such labours as the duties of Religion or
works of our calling require of us. Sleep was intended to
make us more profitable, not more idle ; as we give rest to
our beasts, not that Ave are pleased with their doing nothing,
but that they may do us the better service.
2. By this therefore you may judge what is temperate sleep-
ing ; to wit, that which tends to the refresh-
THE RULE OF . ^ 1 i • ,• 1 ^ c^ c
inff and making us more lively and fit for
TEMPERANCE °. j ,^,t ^ j j . j
action ; and to that end a moderate degree
serves best. It will be impossible to set
down just how many hours is that moderate degree, because,
as in eating, so in sleep, some constitutions require more
than others : Every man's own experience must in this judge
for him, but then let him judge uprightly, and not consult
with his sloth in the case ; for that will still, with Solomon's
sluggard, cry, Ji little m,ore sleep, a little more slumber, a
little more folding of the hands to sleep, Prov. xxiv. 33.
But take only so much as he really finds to tend to the end
forementioned.
SUNDAY IX.] TEMPERANCE IN SLEEP. 157
3. He that doth not thus limit himself falls into several
sins under this general one of sloth : as
first, he wastes his time, that precious '^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^
rpTT A '¥^ "POT T #~ITir
talent which was committed to him by God
1 . 1 1 ^, , 1 '' THE TRANSGRES-
to improve, which he that sleeps away,
doth like him in the Gospel, Matt. xxv. ^^^^ °^ ''^•
18, hides it in the earth, when he should be trading with it;
and you know what was the doom of that unprofitable servant,
verse 30, Cast ye him into outer darkness : he that gives
himself to darkness of sleep here, shall there have darkness
without sleep, but with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Secondly, he injures his body: immoderate sleep fills that
full of diseases, makes it a very sink of humours, as daily
experience shows us. Thirdly, he injures his Soul also, and
that not only in robbing it of the service of the body, but in
dulling its proper faculties, making them useless and unfit
for those employments to which God hath designed them ;
of all which ill husbandry the poor soul must one day give
account. Nay, lastly, he affronts and despises God himself
in it, by crossing the very end of his creation, which was to
serve God in an active obedience; but he that sleeps away
his life, directly thwarts and contradicts that, and when God
saith, Man is born to labour, his practice saith the direct
contrary, that man is born to rest. Take heed therefore of
giving thyself to immoderate sleep, which is the committing
of so many sins in one.
4. But besides the sin of it, it is also very hurtful in other
respects, it is the sure bane of thy outward
estate, wherein the sluffffish person shall
.u • A- ^ 41, 5 u *• CHIEFS OF
never thrive ; according to that observation
of the Wise man. Pro v. xxiii. 21, Drowsi-
ness shall cover a man with rags ; that is, the slothful man
shall want convenient clothing ; nay, indeed it can scarce be
said, that the sluggard lives. Sleep, you know, is a kind
of death, and he that gives himself up to it, what doth he
but die before his time ? Therefore if untimely death be to
be looked upon as a curse, it must needs be a strange folly
to choose that from our own sloth which we dread so much
from God's hand.
5. The fourth part of Temperance concerns Recreations,
which are sometimes necessary both to the
body and the mind of a man, neither of temperance in
them being able to endure a constant toil Recreation.
14
158 OF RECREATION. [sUNDAY IX.
without somewhat of refreshment between ; and therefore
there is a very lawful use of them ; but to make it so, it will
be necessary to observe these Cautions.
6. First, we must take care that the kind of them be law-
ful, that they be such as have nothing of sin
CAUTIONS TO BE . 'i ^ * w ^ i
in them ; we must not to recreate ourselves
do any thing which is dishonourable to
God, or injurious to our neighbour, as they
do who make profane or filthy backbiting discourse their
recreation. Secondly, we must take care that we use it with
moderation : and to do so, we must first be sure not to spend
too much time upon it, but remember that the end of recrea-
tion is to fit us for business, not to be itself a business to us.
Secondly, we must not be too vehement and earnest in it,
not set our hearts too much upon it, for that will both ensnare
us to the using too much of it, and it will divert and take off
our minds from our more necessary employments • like
school boys who, after a play-time, know not how to set
themselves to their books again. Lastly, we must not set
up to ourselves any other end of recreations but that lawful
one, of giving us moderate refreshment.
7. As first, we are not to use Sports only to pass away
our time, which we ought to study how to
UNDUE ENDS i ^ a- A i. • ^ ■
redeem, not nmo- away ; and when it is
OF SPORTS. 1 J 1 "1 ^ ^
remembered now great a work we have
here to do, the making our calling and election, sure, the
securing our tide to Heaven hereafter, and how uncertain we
are what time shall be allowed us for that purpose ; it will
appear our time is that which of all other things we ought
most industriously to improve. And therefore sure we have
little need to contrive ways of driving that away which flies
so fast of itself, and is so impossible to recover. Let them
that can spend whole days and nights at cards and dice, and
idle pastimes, consider this, and withal, whether they ever
bestowed a quarter of that time towards that great business
of their lives, for which all their time was given them, and
then think what a woful reckoning they are like to make
when they come at last to account for that precious treasure
of their time. Secondly, we must not let our covetousness
liave any thing to do in our recreations : if we play at any
game, let the end of our doing it be merely to recreate our-
selves, not to win money ; and to that purpose be sure neve.r
to play for any considerable matter ; for if thou do, thou wilt
SUNDAY IX.] OF APPAREL. 159
bring thyself into two dangers, the one of covetousness and
a greedy desire of winning, the other of rage and anger at
thy ill fortune, if thou happen to lose ; both which will be
apt to draw thee into other sins besides themselves. Covet-
ousness will tempt thee to cheat and cozen in gaining, and
anger to swearing and cursing, as common experience shows
us too often. If thou find thyself apt to fall into either of
these in thy gaming, thou must either take some course to
secure thyself against them, or thou must not permit thyself
to play at all ; for though moderate play be in itself not un-
lawful, yet if it be the occasion of sin, it is so to thee, and
therefore must not be ventured on. For if Christ commands
us so strictly to avoid temptations, that if our very eyes or
hands offend us (that is, prove snares to us), we must rather
part with them, than to be drawn to sin by them, how much
rather must we part with any of these unnecessary sports,
than run the hazard of offending God by them ? He that so
plays lays his soul to stake, which is too great a prize to be
played away. Besides, he loses all the recreation and
sport he pretends to aim at, and instead of that sets himself
to a greater toil than any of those labours are he was to ease
by it : for sure the desires and fears of the covetous, the
impatience and rage of the angry man are more real pains
than any the most laborious work can be.
8. The last part of Temperance is that of Apparel, which
we are again to measure by the agreeable-
^ J? 1 ^ 1,- I. 1 *!,• V, 1J TEMPERANCE IN
ness to the ends for which clothmg should
be used. Those are especially of these
three : first, the hiding of nakedness. This
,1 /I \ • r A 1 APPAREL DE-
was the first occasion of Apparel, as you
J ^ ... „i 1^^ ^1 A- ^ SIGNED FOR CO-
may read. Gen. iii. 21, and was the effect
of the first sin ; and, therefore, when we
remember the original of clothes, we have
so little reason to be proud of them, that on the contrary we
have cause to be humbled and ashamed, as having lost that
innocency which was a much greater ornament than any the
most glorious apparel can be. From this end of clothing we
are likewise engaged to have our Apparel modest, such as
may answer this end of covering our shame ; and, therefore,
all immodest fashions of Apparel, which may either argue
the wantonness of the wearer, or provoke that of the be-
holder, are to be avoided.
160 OF APPAREL. [SUNDAY IX.
9. A second end of Apparel is the fencing the body from
cold, thereby to preserve the health thereof:
FENCING ^^^ ^j^.g ^^^^ ^^ must likewise observe in
FROM COLD. ^^^ clothing ; we must wear such kind of
liabits as may keep us in that convenient warmth which is
necessary to our healths. And this is transgressed when, out
of the vanity of being in every fantastic fashion, we put our-
selves in such clothing, as either will not defend us from cold,
or is some other way so uneasy that it is rather a hurt than
a benefit to our bodies to be so clad. This is a most ridiculous
folly, and yet that which people that take a pride in their
clothes are usually guilty of.
10. A third end of Apparel is the distinguishing or difFer-
encinff of persons, and that first in respect
of sex, secondly in respect of qualities.
First, clothes are to make difference of sex ;
this hath been observed by all nations, the habits of men and
women have always been diverse. And God himself ex-
pressly provided for it among the Jews, by commanding that
the man should not wear the apparel of the woman, nor the
woman of the man. But then secondly, there is also a dis-
tinction of qualities to be observed in apparel ; God hath
placed some in a higher condition than others, and in pro-
portion to that condition it befits their clothing to be. Gor-
geous apparel, our Saviour tells us, is for kings^ courts,
Luke vii. 25. Now this end of apparel should also be ob-
served. Men and women should content themselves with
that sort of clothing which agrees to their sex and condition,
not striving to exceed, and equal that of a higher rank, nor
yet making it matter of envy among those of their own estate,
vying who shall be finest ; but let every man clothe himself
in such sober attire as befits his place and calling, and not
think himself disparaged, if another of his neighbours have
better than he.
1 1 . And let all remember that clothes are things which
add no true worth to any ; and, therefore, it is an intolerable
vanity to spend any considerable part either of thoughts,
time, or wealth upon them, or to value themselves ever the
more for them, or despise their poor brethren that want
them. But if they desire to adorn themselves, let it be as
Saint Peter adviseth the women of his time, 1 Pet. iii. 4,
In the hidden ma?! of the heart, even the ornament of a
meek and quiet spirit. Let them clothe themselves as richly
SUNDAY IX.] OF APPAREL. 161
as is possible with all Christian virtues, and that is the rai-
ment that will set them out lovely in God's eyes, yea, and
in men's too, who, unless they be fools and idiots, will more
value thee for being good than fine ; and sure one plain coat
thou puttest upon a poor man's back, will better become
thee, than twenty rich ones thou shalt put upon thine own.
12. I have now gone through the several parts of Tem-
perance. I shall now in conclusion, add
this general caution, that though in all these '^^^ much
particulars I have taken notice only of the sparing a
one fault of excess, yet it is possible there ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^
may be one on the other hand : men may
deny their bodies that which they necessarily require to their
support and well-being. This is, I believe, a fault not so com-
mon as the other, yet we sometimes see some very niggardly
persons, that are guilty of it> that cannot find in their hearts
to borrow so much from their chests as may fill their bellies,
or clothe their backs, and that are so intent upon the world,
so moiling and drudging in it, that they cannot afford them-
selves that competent time of sleep, or recreation, that is
necessary. If any that hath read the former part of this
discourse be of this temper, let him not comfort himself, that
he is not guilty of those excesses there complained of; and,
therefore, conclude himself a good Christian, because he is
not intemperate ; for whoever is this covetous creature, his
abstaining shall not be counted to him as the virtue of tem-
perance, for it is not the love of temperance, but wealth, that
makes him refrain ; and that is so far from being praise-
worthy, that it is that great sin which the Apostle tells us,
1 Tim. vi. 10, is the root of all evil; such a man's body
will one day rise in judgment against him, for the defrauding
it of its due portion, those moderate refreshments and com-
forts which God hath allowed it. This is an idolatry beyond
that of offering the children to Moloch, Lev. xx. 3, they
offered but their children, but this covetous wretch sacrifices
himself to his god Mammon, whilst he often destroys his
health, his life, yea, finally his soul too, to save his purse.
I have now done with the second head of Duty, that to our-
selves, contained by the Apostle under the word Soberly.
14*
SUNDAY X.
Of Duties to our Neighbour. Of Justice, Negative, Positive. Of the
Sin of Murder, of the Heinousness of it, the Punishments of it, and
the strange Discoveries thereof. Of Maiming, &c.
I COME now to the third part of Duties, those to our
Neighbour, which are by the Apostle sum-
DUTY T ^^^ ^p ^^ gross in the word (Righteous-
NEiGHBouR. j^ggg^ gy which is meant not only bare
justice, but all kind of charity also ; for that is now by the
law of Christ become a debt to our neighbour, and it is a
piece of unrighteousness to defraud him of it. I shall, there-
fore, build all the particular duties we owe to our neighbour,
on those two general ones. Justice and Charity.
2. I begin with Justice, whereof there are two parts, the
one Neo-ative, the other Positive : the ne-
gative Justice is to do no wrong, or injury
to any. The positive Justice is to do right to all ; that is,
to yield them whatsoever appertains or is due unto them.
I shall first speak of the Negative Justice,
the not injuring or wronging any. Now
because a man is capable of receiving wrong in several
respects ; this first part of justice extends itself into several
branches, answerable to those capacities of injury. A man
may be injured either in his soul, his body, his possessions,
or credit ; and, therefore, this duty of Negative Justice lays
a restraint on us in every of these, that we do no wrong to
any man in respect either of his soul, his body, his posses-
sions, or his credit.
3. First, this justice ties us to do no hurt to his Soul; and
here my first work must be to examine
TO the soul. ^^^^^ Yya,j:m it is that the Soul can receive ;
it is, we know, an invisible substance, which we cannot
reach with your eye, much less with our swords and weapons ;
yet for all that, it is capable of being hurt and wounded, and
that even to death.
4. Now the Soul may be considered either in a natural
or spiritual sense ; in the natural it signifies
IN the natu- ^^^^ ^^i^.^j^ ^,g usually call the mind of a
RAL SENSE. ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^ ^^^ kuow, maybe wounded
162
SUNDAY X.] OF JUSTICE. 163
with i^ief or sadness, as Solomon saith, Prov. xv. 13, By
sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. Therefore, whoever
doth causelessly afflict or grieve his neighbour, he trans-
gresses this part of justice, and hurls and wrongs his soul.
This sort of injury malicious and spiteful men are very often
guilty of; they will do things, by which themselves reap no
good, nay, often much harm, only that they may vex and
grieve another : this is a most savage inhuman humour, thus
to take pleasure in the sadness and afflictions of others ; and
whoever harbours it in his heart, may truly be said to be
possessed with the devil, for it is the nature only of those
accursed spirits to delight in the miseries of men; and till
that be cast out, they are fit only to dwell as the possessed
person did, Ma.rk v. 2, among graves and tombs, where
there are none capable of receiving affliction by them.
5. But the Soul may be considered also in the spiritual
sense, and so it signifies that immortal part
of us which must live eternally, either in ^^ ^^^
C'pTTJT'T'TT A T
bliss or woe in another world. And the
Soul thus understood is capable of two sorts of harm : first,
that of sin ; secondly, that of punishment ; the latter whereof
is certainly the consequent of the former ; and, therefore,
though God be the inflicter of punishment, yet since it is but
the effect of sin, we may justly reckon, that he that draws a
man to sin is likewise the betrayer of him to punishment, as
he that gives a man a mortal wound is the cause of his death ;
therefore, under the evil of sin both are contained, so that I
need speak only of that.
6. And sure there cannot be a higher sort of wrong than
the bringing this great evil upon the Soul.
Sin is the disease and wound of the Soul, ^^^^^1^'^ to
as being the direct contrary to grace, which ^^^ ^^^
is the health and soundness of it ; now this ^^^^test in-
wound we give to every Soul, whom we ^ ^ *
do by any means whatsoever draw into sin.
7. The ways of doing that are divers : I shall mention
some of them, whereof though some are
more direct than others, yet all tend to the ^^^^^"^ ^^^ns
same end. Of the more direct ones there ^^ ^^'
is, first, the commanding of sin, that is, when a person that
hath power over another shall require him to do something
which is unlawful ; an example of this we have in Nebu-
chadnezzar's commanding the worship of the golden image,
164 OF JUSTICE. [SUNDAY X.
Dan. iii. 4, and his copy is imitated by any parent or master,
who shall require of his child or servant to do any unlawful
act. Secondly, there is counselling of sin, when men advise
and persuade others to any wickedness ; thus Job's wife
counselled her husband to curse God, Job ii. 9. And Achi-
topel advised Absalom to go in to his father's concubines,
2 Sam. xvi. 21. Thirdly, there is enticing and alluring to
sin, by setting before men the pleasures or profits they shall
reap by it. Of this sort of enticement Solomon gives warn-
ing, Prov. i. 10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent
thou not ; if they say. Come with us, let us lay wait for
blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without a cause,
^c. : and verse 13, you may see what is the bait, by which
they seek to allure them, ff^e shall find all precious sub-
stance ; we shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in thy
lot among us, let us all have one purse. Fourthly, there is
assistance in sin ; that is, when men aid and help others
either in contriving or acting a sin. Thus Jonadab helped
Amnon in plotting the ravishing of his sister, 2 Sam. 13.
All these are direct means of bringing this great evil of sin
upon our brethren.
8. There are also others which, though they seem more
indirect, may yet be as effectual towards
INDIRECT. *!. . 11 J ^ , 1 • u
that ill end : as first, example m sm ; he
that sets others an ill pattern does his part to make them
imitate it, and too often it hath that effect ; there being ge-
nerally nothing more forcible to bring men into any sinful
practice, than the seeing it used by others, as might be in-
stanced in many sins, to which there is no other temptation,
but their being in fashion. Secondly, there is encouragement
in sin, when either by approving, or else at least by not show-
ing a dislike, we give others confidence to go on in their
wickedness. A third means is by justifying and defending
any sinful act of another's, for by that we do not only con-
firm him in his evil, but endanger the drawing others to the
like, who may be the more inclinable to it, when they shall
hear it so pleaded for. Lastly, the bringing up any reproach
upon strict and Christian living, as those do who have the
ways of God in derision ; this is a means to affright men from
the practice of duty, when they see it will bring them to be
scorned and despised ; this is worse than all the former, not
only in respect of the man who is guilty of it (as it is an
SUNDAY X.] OF JUSTICE. 165
evidence of the great profaneiiess of his own heart) but also
in regard of others, it having a more general ill effect than
any of the former can have ; it being the betraying men, not
only to some single acts of disobedience to Christ, but even
to the casting off all subjection to him ; by all these means
we may draw on ourselves this great guilt of injuring and
wounding the souls of our brethren.
9. It would be too long for me to instance in all the several
sins, in which it is usual for men to ensnare
others ; as drunkenness, uncleanness, re- ^^ ^^
bellion, and a multitude more. But it will ^^^^i^^^r whom
T*TTF^V WAVP TTTTTTQ
concern every man for his own particular,
to consider sadly what mischiefs of this ^ Jured.
kind he hath done to any, by all or any of these means, and
to weigh well the greatness of the injury. Men are apt to
boast of their innocency towards their neighbours, that they
have done wrong to no man ; but God knows many that thus
brag are of all others the most injurious persons : perhaps
they have not maimed his body, nor stolen his goods, but
alas ! the body is but the case and cover of the man, and the
goods some appurtenances to that ; it is the soul is the man,
and that they can wound and pierce without remorse, and
yet with the adulteress, Prov. xxx. 20, say, they have done
no wickedness ; but glory of their friendly behaviour to those
whom they thus betray to eternal ruin ; for whomsoever thou
hast drawn to any sin, thou hast done thy part to ascertain to
those endless flames. And then think with thyself how base
a treachery this is : thou wouldst call him a treacherous
villain, that should while he pretends to embrace a man
secretly stab him : but this of thine is far beyond that, as the
soul is of more value than the body, and hell worse than
death. And remember yet farther, that besides the cruelty
of it to thy poor brother, it is also most dangerous to thyself,
it being that against which Christ hath pronounced a woe,
Matt, xviii. 7 ; and verse 6, he tells us, that whoever shall
offend (that is, draw into sin) any of those little ones, it
were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Thou mayest plunge thy poor brother into perdition, but as
it is with wrestlers, he that gives another a fall, commonly
falls with him, so thou art like to bear him company to that
place of torment.
166 JUSTICE TO OUR NEIGHBOUR. [sUNDAY X.
10. Let therefore thy own and his danger beget in thee
a sense of the greatness of this sin, this
HEARTILY TO ]^Qpj.j(j piece of injustice to the precious soul
BEWAIL IT. of thy neighbour. Bethink thyself seriously
to whom thou hast been thus cruel ; whom thou hast enticed
to drinking, advised to rebellion, allured to lust, stirred up to
rage, whom thou hast assisted or encouraged in any ill course,
or discouraged and disheartened by thy profane scoffings at
piety in general or at any conscionable strict walking of his
in particular ; and then draw up a bill of endictment ; accuse
and condemn thyself as a Cain, a murderer of thy brother,
heartily and deeply bewail all thy guilts of this kind, and
resolve never once more to be a stumbling-block as Saint
Paul calls it, Rom. xiv. 13, in thy brother's way.
11. But this is not all, there must be some fruits of this
repentance, brought forth : now in all sins
ENDEAVOUR TO r ' o r •
of injustice, restitution is a necessary fruit
of repentance, and so it is here ; thou hast
committed an act (perhaps many) of high injustice to the
soul of thy brother ; thou hast robbed it of its innocency, of
its title to Heaven : thou must now endeavour to restore all
this to it again, by being more earnest and industrious to win
him to repentance, than ever thou wert to draw him to sin ;
use now as much art to convince him of the danger, as ever
thou didst to flatter him with the pleasures of his vice ; in si
word, countermine thyself by using all those methods and
means to recover him, that thou didst to destroy him, and be
more diligent and zealous in it, for it is necessary thou
shouldst, both in regard of him and thyself. First, in respect
of him, because there is in man's nature so much a greater
promptness and readiness to evil than to good, that there will
need much more pains and diligence to instil the one into
him, than the other : besides, the man is supposed to be
already accustomed to the contrary, which will add much to
the difficulty of the work. Then in respect of thyself, if
thou be a true penitent thou wilt think thyself obliged, as St.
Paul did, to labour more abundantly, and wilt be ashamed,
that when thou art trading for God, bringing back a soul to
him, thou shouldst not pursue it with more earnestness than
while thou wert an agent of Satan's ; besides, the remembrance
that thou wert a means of bringing this poor soul into this
snare, must necessarily quicken thy diligence to get him out
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF. MURDER. 167
of it. So much for the first part of Negative Justice, in
respect of the Souls of our brethren.
12. The second concerns the Bodies, and to those also
this justice binds thee to do no wronc^ nor
• 1 AT c i i.u T> J NEGATIVE JUS-
violence. JNovv oi wrongs to the Body
there may be several degrees : the highest
"RODV
of them is killing, taking away the life ;
this is forbid in the very letter of the in respect of
sixth Commandment : Thou shalt do no the life.
murder.
13. Murder may be committed either by open violence,
when a man either by sword or any other
instrument takes away another's life, im- ways
1-^1 J J- .1 -i. 11 OF BEING GUILTY
mediately and directly ; or it may be done
.^ A * 11 T\ A OF MURDER.
secretly and treacherously, as David mur-
dered Uriah, not with his own sword, but with the sword
of the children of Ammon, 2 Sam. xi. 17 ; and Jezebel,
Naboth by a false accusation, 1 Kings xxi. 13. And so
divers have committed this sin of murder by poison, false
witness, or some such concealed ways. The former is com-
monly the effect of a sudden rage ; the latter hath several
originals : sometimes it proceeds from some old malice fixed
in the heart towards the person ; sometimes from some covet-
ous or ambitious desires, such an one stands in a man's way
to his profit or preferment, and therefore he must be removed ;
and sometimes again it is to cover shame, as in the case of
strumpets that murder their infants, that they may not betray
their filthiness. But besides these more direct ways of kill-
ing, there is another, and that is, when, by our persuasions
and enticements, we draw a man to do that which tends to
the shortening of his life, and is apparent to do so : he that
makes his neighbour drunk, if by that drunkenness the man
comes to any mortal hurt, which he would have escaped if
he had been sober, he that made him drunk is not clear of
his death ; or if he die not by any such sudden accident, yet
if drinking cast him into a disease, and that disease kill him,
I know not how he that drew him to that excess can acquit
himself of his murder in the eyes of God, though human
laws touch him not. I wish those who make it their busi-
ness to draw in customers to that trade of debauchery would
consider it. There is yet another way of bringing this guilt
upon ourselves, and that is by inciting and stirring up others
to it, or to that degree of anger and revenge which produces
168 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. LsUNDAY X.
it ; and he that sets two persons at variance, or, seeing them
already so, blows the coals, if murder insue, he certainly
hath his share in the guilt ; which is a consideration that
ought to affright all from having any thing to do in the kin-
dling or increasing of contention.
14. Now for the heinousness of this sin of murder, I sup-
pose none can be ignorant that it is of the
THE HEINOUS- j^^p^g, ^^^^ ^ j^^g^ Iq^^J ^^^.^ing siu. TMs
NESS OF THE SIN. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ -^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^j^-g ^^^^ ^j^^^
was ever committed ; Abel's blood crieth from the earth, as
God tells Cain, Gen. iv. 10. Yea, the guilt of this sin is
such, that it leaves a stain even upon the land where it is
committed, such as is not to be washed out, but by the blood of
the murderer, as appears, Deut. xix. 12, 13. The land can-
not be purged of blood but by the blood of him that shed it ;
and therefore, though in other cases the flying to the altar
secured a man, yet in this of wilful murder no such refuge
was allowed, but such an one was to be taken even thence,
and delivered up to justice, Exod. xxi. 14, Thou shalt take
him from my altar that he may die. And it is yet farther ob-
servable, that the only two precepts which the Scripture men-
tions, as given to Noah after the flood, were both in relation
to this sin ; that of not eating blood. Gen. ix. 4 ; being a cere-
mony, to beget in men a greater horror of this sin of mur-
der, and so intended for the preventing of it. The other was
for the punishment of it. Gen. ix. 6, He that sheddeth man^s
blood, by man shall his blood be shed ; and the reason of
this strictness is added in the next words. For in the image
of God made he man; where you see that this sin is not
only an injury to our brother, but even the highest contempt
and despite towards God himself, for it is the defacing of his
image, which he hath stamped upon man. Nay, yet further,
it is the usurping of God's proper right and authority. For
it is God alone, that hath right to dispose of the life of man ;
it was he alone that gave it, and it is he alone that hath power
to take it away ; but he that murders a man does, as it were,
wrest this power out of God's hand, which is the highest
pitch of rebellious presumption.
15. And, as the sin is great, so likewise is the punishment ;
we see it frequently very great and remark-
THE GREAT PU- ,, • *i • ^A^U 'A *l,
able even m this world, (besides those most
NISHMENT at- r r 1 «• . r •* • li A ui j
iearlul eflects oi it in the next) blood not
TENDING IT. i • i . •. • f j
only cries, but it cries lor vengeance, and
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 169
the great God of recompenses, as he styles himself, will not
fail to hear it : very many examples the Scripture gives us
of this : Ahab and Jezebel, that murderd innocent Naboth,
for gi-eediness of his vineyard, were themselves slain, and the
dogs licked their blood in the place where they had shed his,
as you may read in that story ; so Absalom, that slew his
brother Amnon, after he had committed that sin fell into an-
other, that of rebellion against his king and father, and in it
miserably perished. Rachab and Baanah, that slew Ishbo-
sheth, were themselves put to death, and that by the very
person they thought to endear by it. Many more instances
might be given of this out of the sacred story, and many also
out of human, there having been no age but hath yielded multi-
tude of examples of this kind, so that every man may furnish
himself out of the observations of his own time.
16. And it is worth our notice, what strange and even
miraculous means it hath often pleased God to use for the dis-
covery of this sin. The very brute crea-
tures have often been made instruments
of it ; nay, often the extreme horror of a
man's own conscience hath made him be-
tray himself: so that it is not any closeness a man uses in
the acting of this sin that can secure him from the vengeance
of it ; for he can never shut out his own conscience, that
will in spite of him be privy to the fact, and that very often
proves the means of discovering it to the world, or if it should
not do that, yet it will sure act revenge on him, it will be
such a hell within him as will be worse than death. This
we have seen in many, who after the commission of this sin
have never been able to enjoy a minute's rest, but have had
that intolerable anguish of mind, that they have chosen to be
their own murderers rather than live in it. These are the
usual effects of this sin even in this world, but those in an-
other are yet more dreadful, where surely the highest degrees
of torment belong to this high pitch of wickedness : for if,
as our Saviour tells us. Matt. v. 22, hell fire be the por-
tion of him that shall but call his brother fool, what degree
of those burnings can we think proportionable to this so
much greater an injury ?
17. The consideration of all this ought to possess us with
the greatest horror and abomination of this sin, and to make
us extremely watchful of ourselves, that we never fall into
15
170 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. [sUNDAY X.
it, and to that end to prevent all those oc-
WE MUST WATCH ^^^^g-^j^g ^yhi^h may msensibly draw us into
DILIGENTLY ^j^-^ ^-^^ j mentioned at first several things
AGAINST ALL AP- ^^^.^j^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ originals of it, and at
PROACHES OF ^j^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^-^^ j^ ^^ ^^-jj ^^^^j^
THIS SIN. guard ourselves. If, therefore, thou wilt be
sure never to kill a man in thy rage, be sure never to he in
that rage ; for if thou permittest thyself to that, thou canst
have no security against the other, anger being a madness
that suffers us not to consider or know what we do, when it
has once possessed us. Therefore, when thou findest thy-
self begin to be inflamed, think betimes whether this may
lead thee, if thou lettest loose to it, and immediately put the
bridle upon this headstrong passion : so again, if thou wilt
be sure thy malice shall not draw thee to it, be sure never
to harbour one malicious thought in thy heart ; for if it once
settle there, it will gather such strength, that within a while
thou wilt be perfectly under the power of it, so that it may
lead thee even to this horrible sin at its pleasure ; be, there-
fore, careful at the very first approach of this treacherous
guest, to shut the doors against it, never to let it enter
thy mind : so also, if thou wilt be sure thy covctousness,
thy ambition, thy lust, or any other sinful desire shall not
betray thee to it, be sure thou never permit any of them to
bear any sway with thee ; for if they get the dominion, as
they will soon do, if they be once entertained in the heart,
they will be past thy control, and hurry thee to this or any
other sin that may serve their ends. In like manner, if thou
wouldst not be guilty of any of the mortal effects of thy
neighbour's drunkenness, be sure not to entice him to it, nor
accompany him at it ; and to that purpose do not allow thy-
self in the same practice : for if thou do, thou wilt be labour-
ing to get company at it. Lastly, if thou wilt not be guilty
of the murder committed by another, take heed thou never
give any encouragement to it, or contribute any thing to that
hatred or contention that may be the cause of it. For when
thou hast either kindled or blown a fire, what knowest thou
whom it may consume ? Bring always as much water as
thou canst to quench, but never bring one drop of oil to in-
crease, the flame. The like may be said of all other occa-
sions of this sin, not here mentioned ; and this careful pre-
serving ourselves from these is the only sure way to keep
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 171
thyself innocent from the great offence, guard thee wa-
rily from all such inlets, those steps and approaches to-
wards it.
18. But although murder be the greatest, yet it is not the
only injury that may be done to the body ,, ,,, ^^^
r "^ ■ T 1 Ii- i^u X.- t MAIMING A
of our neighbour ; there are others which
1 e V- u -I <^l, 4r • GREAT INJURY.
are also of a very high nature ; the next m
degree to this is Maiming him, depriving him of any mem-
ber, or at least of the use of it ; and this is a very great
wrong and mischief to him, as we may discern by the judg-
ment of God himself, in the case of the bond-servant, who
should by his master's means lose a member, Exod. xxi. 26,
the freedom of his whole life was thought but a reasonable
recompense for it. He shall let him go free, saith the text,
for his eye; nay, though it were a less considerable part,
if it were but a tooth, which of all others may be lost with
the least damage, yet the same amends was to be made him,
verse 27.
19. But Ave need no other way of measuring this injury,
than the iudorment of every man in his own
J =■ 1 J -^ J J THAT WHICH
case ; how much does every man dread
the loss of a limb? So that if he be by ^„^.^„ „
• 1 X J- J c '4. u DREADS FOR
any accident or disease m danger oi it, he himself
thinks no pains or cost too much to preserve
it. And then how great an injustice, how contrary to that
great rule of doing as we would be done to, is it, for a man
to do that to another which he so unwillingly suffers him-
self?
But if the person be poor, one that must labour for his
living, the injury is yet greater, it is such ^^^^ ,„«„„^ ,„
°' . J r . . .^ r • yet WORSE IF
as may in eftect amount to the lormer sm ,, ^^ ^^
r 1 r .1- -iTf THE MAN BE
of murder ; for, as the Wise man says,
EccLus. xxiv. 21, The poor man^s bread
is his life, and he that deprives him thereof is a blood shed-
der. And, therefore, he that deprives him of the means of
getting his bread, by disabling him from labour, is surely no
less guilty. In the Law it was permitted to every man that
had sustained such a damage by his neighbour, to require
the magistrate to inflict the like on him, eye for eye, tooth
for tooth, as it is, Exod. xxi. 24.
20. And though unprofitable revenge be not now allowed
to us Christians, yet sure it is the part of every one who
172 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. [sUNDAY
NECESSITY OF
MAKING WHAT
SATISFACTION
WE CAN.
hath done this injury to make what satis-
faction lies in his power ; it is true he can-
not restore a limb again (which by the way
should make men wary how they do those
mischiefs which it is so impossible for
them to repair,) but yet he may satisfy for some of the ill
effects of that loss. If that have brought the man to want
and penury, he may, nay, he must, if he have but the least
ability, relieve and support him, yea, though it be by his own
extraordinary labour : for if it be a duty of us all to be eyes
to the blind, and feet to the lame, as Job speaks, much more
must we be so to them whom ourselves have made blind
and lame. Therefore, whoever hath done this injury to any
of his poor brethren, let him know he is bound to do all that
is possible towards the repairing of it ; if he do not, every
new suffering that the poor man's wants bring upon him,
becomes a new charge and accusation against him, at the tri-
bunal of the just Judge.
21. There are yet other degrees of injury to the body of
our neighbour. I shall mention only two
WOUNDS AND w ^ J CJ. •
more, W ounds, and fetripes : a man may
' ' wound another, which though it finally
RIES ALSO. 1 .^1 r ^•c V u • ^
cause loss neither oi lite nor limb, is yet
an endangering of both. And the like may be said of
stripes ; both of which, however, are very painful at the
present, nay, perhaps very long after ; and pain, of all tem-
poral evils, is to be accounted the greatest, for it is not only
an evil in itself, but it is such an one, that permits us not,
whilst we are under it, to enjoy any other good ; a man in
pain having no taste of any the geatest delights. If any man
despise these as light injuries, let him again ask himself, how
he would like it, to have his own body slashed or bruised,
and put to pass under those painful means of cure, which
are m.any times necessary in such cases ? I presume there
is no man would willingly undergo this from another, and
why then shouldst thou offer it to him ?
22. The truth is, this strange cruelty to others is the effect
of a great pride and haughtiness of heart :
we look upon others with such contempt,
TO OTHERS, ,1 , ,t5 i -^ .. i. .i
that we think it no matter how they are
used ; we think they must bear blows from
PRIDE. u • *u *•
us, when, in the mean time, we are so ten-
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 173
der of ourselves, that we cannot hear the least word of dis-
paragement but we are all on a flame. The provocations to
these injuries are commonly so slight, that did not this in-
ward pride dispose us to such an angriness of humour, that
we take fire at every thing, it were impossible we should be
moved by them. Nay, some are advanced to such a wan-
tonness of cruelty, that without any provocation at all, in
cool blood, as they say, they can thus wrong their poor bre-
thren, and make it part of their pastime and recreation to
cause pain to others. Thus some tyrannous humours take
such a pleasure in tormenting those under their power, that
they are glad when they can but find a pretence to punish
them, and then do it without all moderation : and others will
set men together by the ears, only that they may have the
sport of seeing the scuffle ; like the old Romans, that made
it one of their public sports to see men kill one another. —
And sure we have as little Christianity as they, if we can
take delight in such spectacles.
23. This savageness and cruelty of mind is so unbecoming
the nature of a man, that he is not allowed to use it even to
his beast ; how intolerable is it then towards those that are
of the same nature, and, which is more, are heirs of the same
eternal hopes, with us ? They that shall thus transgress
against their neighbours in any of the foregoing particulars,
or whatever else is hurtful to the body, are unjust persons,
want even this lowest sort of justice, the negative, to their
neighbours in respect of their bodies.
24. Neither can any man excuse himself by saying what
he has done was only in return of some injury offered him
by the other ; for suppose it to be so, that he have indeed
received some considerable wrong, yet cannot he be his own
revenger without injury to that man, who is not, by being
thine enemy, become thy vassal, or slave, to do with him
what thou list ; thou hast never the more right of dominion
over him, because he hath done thee wrong ; and, therefore,
if thou hadst no power over his body before, it is certain
thou hast none now ; and, therefore, thou art not only uncharita-
ble (which yet were sin enough to damn thee,) but unjust in
every act of violence thou dost to him. Nay, this injustice
ascends higher, even to God himself, who hath reserved ven-
geance as his own peculiar right. Vengeance is mine, J will
repay, saith the Lord, Rom. xii. 19. And then he that will
act revenge for himself, what does he, but encroach upon this
15*
174 OF ADULTERY. [sUNDAY XI.
special right and prerogative of God, snatch the sword, as it
were, out of his hand, as if he knew better how to wield it ?
which is at once a robbery, and contempt of the Divine
Majesty.
SUNDAY XL
Of Justice about the Possessions of our Neighbour : against injuring him,
as concerning his Wife, his Goods. Of Oppression. Theft. Of pay-
ing of Debts, &c.
The third part of Negative Justice concerns the Posses-
sions of our Neighbours. What I mean by
Possessions, I cannot better explain than
by referring you to the tenth command-
ment, the end of which is to bridle all covetous appetites and
desires towards the Possessions of our neighbour. There
we find reckoned up, not only his house, servants, and cattle,
which may all pass under the one general name of his goods
or riches, but particularly his Wife, as a principal part of
his possessions, and therefore when we consider this duty
of Negative Justice, in respect of the possessions of our
neighbour, we must apply it to both, his Wife as well as
his Goods.
2. The especial and peculiar right that every man hath
in his Wife is so well known, that it were
HIS WIFE. . ^ xi,- • i- r-^ *!,
vam to say any thnig m prooi ot it ; the great
impatience that every husband hath to have this right of his
invaded, shows that it is sufficiently understood in the world,
and therefore none that does this injury to another can be
ignorant of the greatness of it. The corrupting of a man's
wife, enticing her to a strange bed, is by all acknowledged to
be the worst sort of theft, infinitely beyond that of the goods.
3. Indeed there is in this one, a heap of the greatest in-
justices toorether, some towards the w^oman,
THE ENTICING '' n °^ j .i, + A .-u '
, and some towards the man : towards the
A MAN S WIFE ^, ,-, * * • • ui
woman there are the greatest imagmable ;
THE GREATEST v. • ^u . • • .• . u 1 l5 l
It IS that injustice to her soul, which was
before mentioned as the highest of all
others, it is the robbintr her of her inno-
TO THE WOMAN. J *.• i, • c .u
cency, and setting her m a course oi the
SUNDAY XI.] OF ADULTERY. 175
horridest wickedness (no less than lusl and perjury together),
from which it is probable she may never return, and then
it proves the damning of her eternally. Next, it is in respect
of this world, the robbing her of her credit, making her ab-
horred and despised, and her very name a reproach among
all men ; and besides, it is the depriving her of all that happi-
ness of life, which arises from the mutual kindness and
affection that is between man and wife. Instead whereof
this brings in a loathing and abhorring of each other, from
whence flow multitudes of mischiefs, too many to rehearse,
in all which the man hath his share also.
4. But besides those, there are to him many and high
injustices ; for it is first the robbing him of
that which, of all other things, he accounts
most precious, the love and faithfulness of his wife, and that
also wherein he hath such an incommunicable right, that
himself cannot, if he would, make it over to any other ; and
therefore sure it cannot without the utmost injustice be torn
from him by any. Nor is this all, but it is farther the in-
gulfing him (if ever he come to discern it) in that most tor-
menting passion of jealousy, which is of all others the most
painful, and which oft puts men upon the most desperate
attempts, it being, as Solomon says, Prov. vi. 34, the rage
of a man. It is yet farther, the bringing upon him all that
scorn and contempt, which, by the unjust measures of the
world, falls on them which are so abused, and which is by
many esteemed the most insufferable part of the wrong ; and
though it be true, that it is very unjust he should fall under
reproach, only because he is injured, yet unless the world
could be new moulded, it will certainly be his lot, and there-
fore it adds much to the injury. Again, tills may indeed be
a robbery in the usual sense of the word, for perhaps it may
be the thrusting in the child of the adulterer into his family,
to share both in the maintenance and portions of his own
children ; and this is an arrant theft : first, in respect of the
man, who surely intends not the providing for another man's
child ; and then in respect of the children, who are by that
means defrauded of so much as that goes a way with. And
therefore whosoever hath this circumstance of the sin to re-
pent of, cannot do it effectually, without restoring to the family
as much as he hath by this means robbed it of.
5. All this put together will sure make this the greateat
and most provoking injury that can be done to a man, and
176 OF ADULTERY. [sUNDAY XI.
(which heightens it yet more) it is that, for which a man can
never make reparations ; for unless it be in the circumstance
before mentioned, there is no part of this
THE MOST IRRE- , • *i / u A * *l,-
sm, wherem that can be done ; to this pur-
pose it is observable in the Jewish Law, that
the thief was appointed to restore fourfold, and that freed him ;
but the adulterer having no possibility of making any restitu-
tion, any satisfaction, he must pay his life for his offence,
Lev. XX. 10. And though now-a-days adulterers speed better,
live many days to renew their guilt, and perhaps to laugh at
those whom they have thus injured, yet let them be assured,
there must one day be a sad reckoning, and that whether they
repent or not ; if by God's grace they do come to repentance,
they will then find this to be no cheap sin, many anguishes of
soul, terrors and perplexities of conscience, groans and tears it
must cost them ; and indeed, were a mg,n's whole life spent
in these penitential exercises, it were little enough to wipe
off the guilt of any one single act of this kind ; what over-
whelming sorrows then are requisite for such a trade of this
sin, as too many drive ? Certainly, it is so great a task, that
it is highly necessary for all that are so concerned, to set to
it immediately, lest they want time to go through with it ;
for let no man flatter himself, that the guilt of a course and
habit of such a sin can be washed away with a single act of
repentance, no, he must proportion the repentance to the
fault, and as one hath been a habit and course, so must the
other also. And then how strange a madness is it for men
to run into this sin, (and that with such painful pursuits, as
many do) which he knows must at the best hand, that is,
supposing he do repent of it, cost him thus dear ! But then
if he do not repent, infinitely dearer ! it loses him all his title
to Heaven, that place of purity, and gives him his portion
in the lake of fire, where the burnings of his lust shall end
in those everlasting burnings ; for how closely soever he hath
acted his sin, be it so that he may have said with the adul-
terer in Job xxiv. 15, No eye seeth me, yet it is sure he
could not in the greatest obscurity shelter himself from God's
sight, with whom the darkness is no darkness. Psalm
cxxxix. 12. And he it is, who hath expressly threatened to
judge this sort of offenders, Heb. xiii. 4, Adulterers God
will judge. God grant that all that live in this foul guilt
may so seasonably and so thoroughly judge themselves that
they may prevent that severe and dreadful judgment of his.
SUNDAY XI.] MALICIOUS INJUSTICE. 177
6. The second thing to which this negative justice to our
neighbour's possessions reacheth, is his
n J J I,- 1 1 1 • HIS GOODS
Goods, under which general word is con-
tained all those several sorts of things, as house, land, cattle,
money, and the like, in which he hath a right and property ;
these we are by the rule of this justice to suffer him to enjoy
without seeking, either to work him damage in any of them,
or to get any of them to ourselves ; I make a diiference be-
tween these two, because there may be two several grounds
or motives of this injustice ; the one malice, the other covet-
ousness.
7. The malicious man desires to work his neighbour's
mischief, though he ffet nothing by it him-
ir •* • V *1 41. . 11 1 MALICIOUS IN-
selr. It IS Irequently seen that men will make
havoc and spoil of the goods of one, to whom
they bear a grudge, though they never design to get any thing
to themselves by it, but only the pleasure of doing a spite to
the other. This is a most hellish humour, directly answer-
able to that of the devil, who bestows all his pains and indus-
try, not to bring in any good to himself, but only to ruin and
undo others: and how contrary it is to all rules of justice,
you may see by the precept given by God to the Jews con-
cerning the goods of an enemy ; where they are so far from
being allowed a liberty of spoil and destruction, that they are
expressly bound to prevent it, Exod. xxiii. 4, 5, Jf thou
meet thine enemy^s ox, or his ass going astray, thou shalt
surely bring it hack to him again : If thou see the ass of
him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldst
forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him:
Where you see it is a debt we owe to our very enemies, to
prevent that loss and damage, which by any accident he is in
danger of: and that even with some labour and pains to our-
selves. How horrible an injustice is it then purposely to
bring that loss and damage on him ? Whoever is guilty of
this, let him never excuse himself by saying, he hath not
enriched himself by the spoil of his neighbour, that he hath
nothing of it cleaves to his finger, for sure this malicious in-
justice is no less a fault than the covetous one ; nay, I sup-
pose in respect of the principle and cause from which it flows,
it may be greater, this hatred of another being worse than
the immoderate love of ourselves ; whoever hath thus mis-
chiefed his neighbour, he is as much bound to repair the injury,
178 COVETOUS INJUSTICE. [sUNDAY XI.
to make satisfaction for the loss, as if he had enriched him-
self by it.
8. JBut on the other side, let not the covetous defraiider
therefore judge his sin light, because there
COVETOUS IN- .g another that in some one respect out-
weighs it, for perhaps in others his may-
cast the scales ; certainly it does in this one, that he that is
unjust for greediness of gain is like to multiply more acts
of this sin, than he that is so out of malice ; for it is impossible
any man should have so many objects of his malice, as he
may have of his covetousness ; there is no man at so general
a defiance with all mankind that he hates every body ; but
the covetous man hath as many objects of his vice, as there
be things in the world he counts valuable. But I shall not
longer stand upon this comparison, it is sure they are both
great and crying sins, and that is ground enough of abhorring
each ; let us descend now to the several branches of this sort
of covetous injustice ; it is true they may all bear the name
of robbery, or theft, for in effect, they are all so, yet for me-
thod's sake, it will not be amiss to distinguish them into these
three ; Oppression, Theft, and Deceit.
9. By Oppression, I mean that open and bare-faced rob-
bery, of seizing upon the possessions of
others, and owning and avowing the doing
so. For the doing of this there are several instruments ; as
first, that of power, by which many nations and princes
have been turned out of their rights, and many private men
out of their estates : sometimes again, law is made the in-
strument of it; he that covets his neighbour's lands or goods,
pretends a claim to them, and then by corrupting of justice,
by bribes and gifts, or else overruling it by greatness and
authority, gets judgment on his side : this is a high oppres-
sion, and of the worst sort, thus to make the law, which was
intended for the protection and defence of men's rights,
to be the means of overthrowing them ; and it is a very
heavy guilt, that lies both on him that procures, and on him
that pronounces such a sentence, yea, and on the lawyer too,
that pleads such a cause, for by so doing he assists in the
oppression ; sometimes again, the very necessities of the
oppressed are the means of his oppression : thus it is in the
case of extortion, and griping usury : a man is in extreme
want of money, and this gives opportunity to the extortioner,
SUNDAY XI.] OF THEFT. 179
to wrest unconscionably from him, to which the poor man is
forced to yield, to supply his present wants. And thus also
it is often with exacting landlords, who, when their poor
tenants know not how to provide themselves elsewhere, rack
and screw them beyond the worth of the thing. All these
and many the like are but several ways of acting this one
sin of Oppression, which becomes yet the more heinous, by
how much the more helpless the person is that is thus op-
pressed ; therefore, the oppression of the widow and father-
less is in Scripture mentioned as the height of this sin.
10. It is indeed a most crying guilt, and that against
which God hath threatened his heavy ven- ,
geance, as we read in divers texts of Scrip-
ture ; thus it is, EzEK. xviii. 12, He that ^^^^ a^gainst
hath oppressed the pooi', and hath spoiled
by violence, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him;
and the same sentence is repeated against him, verse 18.
Indeed, God hath so peculiarly taken upon him the protection
of the poor and oppressed, that he is engaged, as it were, in
honour to be their avenger, and accordingly Psalm xii., we
see God solemnly declare his resolution of appearing for
them, verse 5, For the oppression of the poor, for the sigh-
ing of the needy, now I will arise, saith the Lord, I will
set him in safety from him. The advice, therefore, of So-
lomon is excellent, Prov. xxii. 22, Rob not the poor, because
he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate, for the
Lord will plead their cause, and will spoil the soul of those
that spoiled them; they are like in the end to have little joy
of the booty it brings them in, when it thus engages God
against them.
11. The second sort of this injustice is Theft, and of that
also there are two kinds, the one the with-
T TT "F "F T
holding what we should pay, and the other
taking from our neighbour what is already in his possession.
12. Of the first sort is the not paying of debts, whether
such as we have borrowed, or such as by
1 , .1 •' NOT PAYING
our own voluntary promise are become our
J 1 . r .1 n 1 X 1 xi <. WHAT WE BOR
debts ; for they are equally due to hmi that
can lay either of these claims to them ; and,
therefore, the withholding of either of them is a theft, a keep-
ing from my neighbour that which is his ; yet the former of
them is rather the more injurious, for by that I take from
him that which he once actually had, (be it money or what-
180 KINDS OF THEFT. [sUNDAY XI.
ever else) and so make him worse than I found him. This
is a very great and very common injustice. Men can now^-a-
days with as great confidence deny him that asks a debt, as
they do him thai asks an alms ; nay, many times it is made
matter of quarrel for a man to demand his own ; besides the
many attendances the creditor is put to in pursuit of it, are a
yet farther injury to him, by wasting his time, and taking
him off from other business, and so he is made a loser that
way too. This is so great injustice, that I see not how a
man can look upon any thing he possesses as his right,
whilst he thus denies another his. It is the duty of every
man in debt, rather to strip himself of all, and cast himself
again naked upon God's providence, than thus to feather his
nest with the spoils of his neighbours. And surely it would
prove the more thriving course, not only in respect of the
blessing, which may be expected upon justice, compared with
the curse that attends the contrary, but even in worldly pru-
dence also : for he that defers paying of debts, will at last
be forced to it by law, and that upon much worse terms than
he might have done it voluntarily, with a greater change,
and with such a loss of his credit, that afterwards in his
greatest necessities he will not know where to borrow. But
the sure way for a man to secure himself from the guilt of
this injustice, is, never to borrow more than he knows he
hath means to repay, unless it be of one who, knowing his
disability, is willing to run the hazard. Otherwise he com-
mits this sin at the very time of borrowing ; for he takes
that from his neighbour upon promise of paying, which he
knows he is never likely to restore to him, which is a flat
robbery.
The same justice which ties men to pay their own debts,
WHAT WE ARE ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^"^^^^ ^^ P^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^
others for which he stands bound, in case
the principal either cannot or will not : for
by being bound, he hath made it his own debt, and must in
all justice answer it to the creditor, who, it is presumed, was
drawn to lend on confidence of his security ; and, therefore,
is directly cheated and betrayed by him, if he see him not
satisfied. If it be thought hard, that a man should pay for
that which he never received benefit by, I shall yield it, so
far as to be just matter of weariness to every man how he
enter into such engagements, but it can never be made an ex-
cuse for the breaking them.
SUNDAY XII.] OF THEFT. 181
As for the other sort of debt, that which is brought upon
a man by his own voluntary promise, that
also cannot Avithout great injustice be with- ^^^^'^ ^^^ have
holden; for it is now the man's right, and promised.
then it is no matter by what means it came to be so. There-
fore, we see David makes it part of the description of a just
man, Psalm xv. 4, that he keeps his promises, yea, though
they were made to his oivn disadvantage : and surely, he is
utterly unfit to ascend to that holy hill, there spoken of, either
as that signifies the church here, or heaven hereafter, that
does not punctually observe this part of justice. To this
sort of debt may be reduced the wages of the servant, the
hire of the labourer, and the withholding of these is a great sin,
and the complaints of those that are thus injured ascend up to
God. Behold (saith St. James v. 4,) the hire of the labourers
which have reaped down your fields, which is of you
kept back by fraud, crieth, and the cries of them that have
reaped, are entered into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth.
In Deut. xxiv. 14, 15, we find a strict command in this
matter, Tliou shall not oppress a hired servant that is poor
and needy, at his day thou shall give him his hire, neither
shall the sun go down upon it, for he is poor and setteth
his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and
it be sin unto thee. This is one of those loud clamorous
sins which will not cease crying till it bring down God's
vengeance ; and, therefore, though thou hast no justice to thy
poor brother, yet have at least so much mercy to thyself, as
not to pull down judgments on thee by thus wronging him.
SUNDAY XII.
Of Theft ; Stealing ; of Deceit in Trust, in Traffic : of Restitution, &c.
The second part of Theft is the taking from our neighbour
that which is already in his possession ;
- • ST!F^AT TNG TWF^
and this may be done either more violently,
J 1-^1 1 1 J Ti GOODS OF OUR
and openly, or else more closely and slily,
the first is the manner of those that rob on neighbour.
the way, or plunder houses, where by force they take the
goods of their neighbour ; the other is the way of the pilfering
16
182 OF STEALING. [sUNDAY XII.
thief, that takes away a man's goods unknown to him ; I shall
not dispute which of these is the worst, it is enough that they
are both such acts of injustice, as make men odious to God,
unfit for human society, and betray the actors to the greatest
mischiefs even in this world, death itself being by law ap-
pointed the reward of it ; and there are few that follow this
trade long, but at last meet with that fruit of it. I am sure
it is madness for any to believe he shall always steal se-
curely, for he is to contend with the industry of all those
whom he shall thus injure, whose losses will quicken their
wits for the finding him out, and which is infinitely more,
he is to struggle with the justice of God, which doth usually
pursue such men to destruction, even in this world ; ^vitness
the many strange discoveries that have been made of the
craftiest thieves. But however, if he were secure from the
vengeance here, I am sure, nothing but repentance and re-
formation can secure him from the vengeance of it hereafter.
And now, when these dangers are weighed, it will sure ap-
pear, that the thief makes a pitiful bargain, he steals his
neighbour's money or cattle, and in exchange for it he must
pay his life or his soul, perhaps both ; and if the whole ivorld
be too mean a price for a soul, as he tells us, Mark viii. 36,
who best knew the value of them, having himself bought
them, what a strange madness is it, to barter them away for
every petty trifle, as many do, who have got such a habit of
stealing, that not the meanest worthless thing can escape
their fingers. Under this head of theft may be ranked the
receivers of stolen goods, whether those that take them as
partners in the theft, or those that buy them, when they
know or believe they are stolen. This many (that pretend
much to abhor theft) are guilty of, when they can by it buy
the thing a little cheaper than the common rate. And here
also comes in the concealing of any goods a man finds of his
neighbours, which whosoever restores not, if he know or can
learn out the owner, is no better than a thief ; for he with-
holds from his neighbour that which properly belongs to
him : and sure it will not be uncharitable to say, that he that
will do this, would likewise commit the grosser theft, were
he by that no more in danger of law than in this he is.
The third part of injustice is Deceit, and in that there
may be as many acts as there are occasions
of intercourse and dealing between man
and man.
SUNDAY XII. 3 DECEIT IN TRUSTS. 183
2. It were impossible to name them all, but I think they
will be contained under those two general deceits, in matters
of trust, and in matters of traffic, or bargaining ; unless it
be that of gaming, which, therefore, here by the way I must
tell you, is as much a fraud and deceit as any of the rest.
3. He that deceives a man in any trust that is committed
to him, is guilty of a great injustice, and
that the most treacherous sort of one, it is
the joining of two great sins in one, defrauding, and promise-
breaking ; for in all trusts there is a promise implied, if
not expressed ; for the very accepting of the trust contains
under it a promise of fidelity ; these trusts are broken some-
times to the living, sometimes to the dead ; to the living there
are many ways of doing it, according to the several kinds of
the trust ; sometimes a trust is more general, like that of
Potiphar to Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 4, a man commits to another
all that he hath, and thus giiardians of children, and some-
times stewards, are intrusted. Sometimes again it is more
limited, and restrained to some one special thing ; a man
intrusts another to bargain or deal for him in such a particu-
lar, or he puts some one thing into his hands, to manage and
dispose : thus among servants is it usual for one to be in-
trusted with one part of the master's goods, and another
with another part of them. Now in all these and the like
cases, whosoever acts not for him that intrusts him, with the
same faithfulness that he would for himself, but shall either
carelessly lose or prodigally embezzle the things committed
to him, or else convert them to his own use, he is guilty of
this great sin, of betraying a trust to the living. In like man-
ner, he that being intrusted with the execution of a dead man's
testament, acts not according to the known intention of the
dead man, but enriches himself by what is assigned to others,
he is guilty of this sin, in respect of the dead, which is so
much the greater, by how much the dead hath no means of
remedy and redress, as the living may have. It is a kind of
robbing of graves, which is a theft of which men naturally
have such a horror, that he must be a very hardened thief
that can attempt it. But either of these frauds are made yet
more heinous, when either God, or the poor, are immedi-
ately concerned in it, that is, when any thing is committed
to a man for the uses either of piety or charity ; this adds
sacrilege to both the fraud and the treachery, and so gives
him title to all those curses that attend those several sins,
184 DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. [SUNDAY XII.
which are so heavy, that he that for the present gain will
adventure on them, makes as ill, nay, a much worse bargain
than Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 37, who, by getting the raiment of
Naaman, got his leprosy too.
4. The second sort of fraud is in matters of traffic and
bargain, wherein there may be deceit both
IN TRAFFIC. .^^ ^^^ g^jj^^ ^^^^ ^^ygj, . ^j^^^ ^f ^j^g ggjjg^ -g
commonly either in concealing the faults of the commodity,
or else in over-rating it.
5. The ways of concealing its faults are ordinarily these,
, either first by denying that it hath any such
THE SELLER s ^^^^^^ ^^^^ perhaps commending it for the
CONCEALING ^[^q^.^ contrary quality, and this is down-
THE FAULTS OF ^,.^j^^ j^-^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^j^^^ ^-^^ ^^ ^j^^ ^^j^^^.^
HIS WARE. ^^^^ .^ ^^^^ j.^ ^^ confirmed by an oath, as
it is too usually, then the yet greater guilt of perjury comes
in also ; and then what aheap of sins is here gathered together ?
abundantly enough to sink a poor soul to destruction : and
all this only to screw a little more money out of his neigh-
bour's pocket, and that sometimes so very little, that it is a
miracle that any man that thinks he has a soul, can set it at
so miserable a contemptible price. A second means of con-
cealing, is by using some art to the thing, to make it look
fair, and to hide the faults of it, and this is acting a lie, though
it be not speaking one, which amounts to the same thing, and
has surely in this case as much of the intention of cheating
and defrauding, as the most impudent forswearing can have.
A third means, is the picking out ignorant chapmen ; this is,
I believe, an art too well known among tradesmen, who will
not bring out their faulty wares to men of skill, but keep
them to put off" to such, whose unskilfulness may make them
passable with them ; and this is still the same deceit with
the former ; for it all tends to the same end, the cozening
and defrauding of the chapmen, and then it is not much odds,
whether I make use of my own art, or his weakness for the
purpose. This is certain, he that will do justly, must let
his chapman know what he buys ; and if his own skill enable
him not to judge (nay, if he do not actually find out the
fault), thou art bound to tell it him, otherwise thou makest
him pay for somewhat which is not there, he presuming
there is that good quality in it, which thou knowest is not,
and therefore thou mayest as honesdy take his money for
some goods of another man's, which thou knowest thou canst
SUNDAY XII.] DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. 185
never put into his possession, which I suppose no man will
deny to be an arrant cheat. To this head of concealment
may be referred that deceit of false weights and measures,
for that is the concealing from the buyer a defect in the
quantity, as the other was in the quality of the commodity,
and is again the making him pay for what he hath not.
This sort of fraud is pointed at particularly by Solomon.
Prov. xi. 1, with this note upon it, that it is an abomination
to the Lord.
6. The second part of fraud in the seller lies in over-
rating the commodity ; though he have not
disguised or concealed the faults of it, and
so have dealt fairly in that respect, yet
if he set an unreasonable price upon it, he defrauds the
buyer ; I call that an unreasonable price, which exceeds the
true worth of the thing, considered with those moderate
gains, which all tradesmen are presumed to be allowed in
the sale. Whatever is beyond this must in all likelihood be
fetched in by some of these ways : as first, by taking advan-
tage of the buyer's ignorance in the value of the thing which
is the same with doing it in the goodness, which hath
already been showed to be a deceit ; or, secondly by taking
advantage of his necessity. Thou findest a man hath present
and urgent need of such a thing, and therefore takest this
opportunity to set the dice upon him ; but this is that very
sin of Extortion and Oppression, spoken of before, for
it is sure, nothing can justly raise the price of any thing,
but either its becoming dearer to thee, or its being some
way better in itself; but the necessity of thy brother causes
neither of these ; his nakedness doth not make the clothes
thou sellest him stand thee in ever the more, neither doth it
make them any way better ; and therefore to rate them ever
the higher is to change the way of trading, and sell even the
wants and necessities of thy neighbour, which sure is a very
unlawful vocation. Or thirdly, it may be by taking advantage
of the indiscretion of the chapman. A man, perhaps ear-
nestly fancies such a thing, and then suffers that fancy so to
over-rule his reason, that he resolves to have it upon any
terms. If thou findest this in him, and thereupon raisest thy
rate, this is to make him buy his folly, which is of all others
the dearest purchase ; it is sure his fancy adds nothing to the
real value, no more than his necessity did in the former case,
and therefore should not add to the price. He therefore that
16*
186 DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. [sUNDAY XII.
will deal justly in the business of selling, must not catch at
all advantages which the temper of his chapman may give,
but consider soberly, what the thing is worth, and what he
would afford it for to another, of whom he had no such ad-
vantage, and accordingly rate it to him at no higher a price.
7. On the Buyer's part there are not ordinarily so many
opportunities of fraud ; yet it is possible a
FRAUD IN THE .. i ^ n
man may sometmies happen to sell some-
what, the worth whereof he is not ac-
quainted with, and then it will be as unjust for the buyer to
make gain by his ignorance, as in the other case it was for
the seller : but that which often falls out, is the case of neces-
sity, which may as probably fall on the seller's side, as the
buyer's. A man's wants compel him to sell, and permit him
not to stay to make the best bargain, but force him to take
the first offer, and here for the buyer to gi*ate upon him, be-
cause he sees him in that strait, is the same fault which I
before showed it to be in the seller.
8. In this whole business of Traffic there are so many
opportunities of deceit, that a man had
MANY TEMPT A ^^i r i • ir -.V a
need ience himself with a very firm reso-
TIONS TO DE- 1 ,. , c ■ ^- i, -n u
lution, nay, love of justice, or he will be
in danger to fall under temptation ; for as
the wise man speaks, Ecclus. xxvii. 2,
Jis a nail sticks fast between the joinings of the stones, so
doth sin stick close between buying and selling ; it is so inter-
woven with all trades, so mixt with the very first principles
and grounds of them, that it is taught together with them,
and so becomes part of the art ; so that he is now-a-days
scarce thought fit to manage a trade, that wants it, while he
that hath most of this black art of defrauding, applauds and
hugs himself, nay, perhaps boasts to others, how he hath
over-reached his neighbour.
What an intolerable shame is this, that we Christians,
who are, by the precepts of our Master,
THE COMMON- ^ . .u u- u j x- r u V \ ^A
set to those higher duties of charity, should,
NESS OF INJUS- . , 1 r • • xi. "^ l
instead of practising them, quite unlearn
those common rules of justice, which mere
PROACH TO 1 T-i T .v.- 1 T
nature teaches, lor, 1 think 1 may say,
CHRISTIANITY. ,, c ^\. 1 u u f
there are none of those several branches ot
injustice towards the possessions of our neighbour, which
would not be adjudged to be so by any sober heathen ; so
that, as St. Paul tells those of thfe circumcision, that the
CEIT IN TRAF-
FIC.
SUNDAY XII.] DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. 187
name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles, by that
uiiagreeableness that was betwixt their practice and their law,
Rom. ii. 24. So now may it be said of us, that the name
of Christ is blasphemed among the Turks and Heathens,
by the vile and scandalous lives of us who call ourselves
Christians, and particularly in this sin of injustice ; for
shame let us at last endeavour to wipe off this reproach from
our profession, by leaving these practices ; to which me-
thinks this one single consideration should be enough to per-
suade us.
9. Yet, besides this, there want not other ; among which,
one there is of such a nature, as may pre-
vail with the arrantest worldling, and that
• *!, * a • 1 ^1, *. 11 * A 4 WAY TO ENRICH
IS, that this course doth not really tend to
the enriching of him ; there is a secret
curse goes along with it, which like a canker eats out all the
benefit was expected from it. This no man can doubt that
believes the Scripture, where there are multitudes of texts
to this purpose, thus, Prov. xxii. 16, He that oppresseth
the poor to increase his riches shall surely come to want.
So Habbak. ii. 16, Woe to him that increaseth that which
is not his! how long? And he that ladeth himself
with thick clay! shall they not rise up suddenly that
shall bite thee, and awake, that shall vex thee? And thou
shalt be for booties to them. This is commonly the fortune
of those that spoil and deceive others, they at last meet
with some that do the like to them. But the place in Ze-
CHARiAH is most full to this purpose, chap. v. where, under
the sign of a flying roll, is signified the curse that goes forth
against this sin, verse 4 : / will bring it forth, saith the
Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief,
and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my
name, and it shall consume it with the timber thereof, and
2vith the stones thereof Where, you see, theft and perjury
are two sins against which this curse is aimed (and they
two often go together in the matter of defrauding) ; and the
nature of this curse is, to consume the house, to make an
utter destruction of all that belongs to him that is guilty of
either of these sins. Thus, whilst thou art a ravening after
thy neighbour's goods or house, thou art but gathering fuel
to burn thine own. And the effect of these threatenings of
God Ave daily see in the strange improsperousness of ill-got-
ten estates, which every man is apt enough to observe in
188 NECESSITY OF RESTITUTION. [sUNDAY XII.
Other men's cases : he that sees his neighbour decUne in his
estate, can presently call to mind, This was gotten by op-
pression or deceit ; yet so sottish are we, so bewitched with
the love of gain, that he that makes this observation can sel-
dom turn it to his own use, is nevertheless greedy, or unjust
himself for that vengeance he discerns upon others.
10. But alas ! if thou couldstbe sure that thy unjust pos-
sessions should not be torn from thee, yet
IT RUINS THE ^j^^^ ^^^^ rcmemberest how dear thou
SOUL ETERNAL- ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ -^ another world, thou
^^'* hast little reason to brag of thy prize. Thou
thinkest thou hast been very cunning, when thou hast over-
reached thy brother ; but God knows all the while there is
another over-reaching thee, and cheating thee of what is in-
finitely more precious, even thy Soul ; the Devil herein deals
with thee as fishers use to do ; those that will catch a great
fish, will bait the hook with a less, and so the great one,
coming with greediness to devour that, is himself taken. So
thou that art gaping to swallow up thy poor brother, art thy-
self made a prey to that great devourer. And alas ! what
will it ease thee in hell that thou hast left wealth behind thee
upon earth, when thou shalt there want that, which the
meanest beggar here enjoys, even a drop of water to cool
thy tongue ? Consider this, and from henceforth resolve to
employ all that pains and diligence thou hast used to deceive
others, in rescuing thyself from the frauds of the grand de-
ceiver.
11. To this purpose it is absolutely necessary that thou
make Restitution to all whom thou hast
wronged : for as long as thou keepest any
thing of the unjust gain, it is as it were an
earnest-penny from the devil, which gives
him full right to thy soul. But, perhaps, it may be said. It
will not in all cases be possible to make Restitution to the
wronged party, peradventure he may be dead ; in that case
then make it to his heirs, to whom his right descends. But
it may further be objected, that he that hath long gone on in
a course of fraud, may have injured many that he cannot now
remember, and many that he has no means of finding out :
this case all I can advise is this : first, to be as diligent as is
possible, both in recalling to mind who they were, and en-
deavouring to find them out : and when, after all thy care,
that proves impossible, let thy Restitutions be made to the
SUNDAY XIII.] OF FALSE WITNESS. 189
poor ; and that they may not be made by halves, be as care-
ful as thou canst to reckon every the least might of unjust
gain : but when that cannot exactly be done, as it is sure it
cannot by those who have multiplied the acts of fraud, yet
even there let them make some general measures whereby
to proportion their Restitution : as, for example, a tradesman
that cannot remember how much he hath cheated in every
single parcel, yet may possibly guess in the gross whether
he have unusually over-reached to the value of a third or a
fourth part of the wares, and then what proportion soever he
thinks he has so defrauded, the same proportion let him now
give out of that estate he hath raised by his trade : but herein
it concerns every man to deal uprightly, as in the presence
of God, and not to make advantage of his own forgetful-
ness, to the cutting short of the Restitution, but rather go on
the other hand, and be sure rather to give too much than too
little. If he do happen to give somewhat over, he need not
grudge the charge of such a sin-offering, and it is sure he
will not if he do heartily desire an atonement. Many other
difficulties there may be in this business of Restitution, which
will not be foreseen, and so cannot now be particularly spoke
to ; but the more of those there are, the greater horror ought
men to have of running into the sin of injustice, which it
will be so difficult if not impossible for them to repair, and
the more careful ought they to be to mortify that which is
the root of all injustice, to wit, Covetousness.
SUNDAY XIII.
Of false Reports, false Witness, Slanders, Whisperings. Of Scoffing
for Infirmities, Calamities, Sins, &c. Of Positive Justice, Truth, Of
Lying. Of Envy and Detraction. Of Gratitude, &c.
The fourth branch of Negative Justice concerns the Credit
of our Neighbours, which we are not to
, •• V . 1 1 HIS credit.
lessen or impair by any means, particularly
not by false reports. Of false reports there may be two
sorts ; the one is when a man says something of his neigh-
bour, which he directly knows to be false ; the other, when
possibly he has some slight surmise or jealousy of the thing,
but that upon such v^eak grounds, that it is as likely to be
190 OF FALSE WITNESS. [sUNDAY XIII.
false as true. In either of these cases there is a great guilt
lies upon the reporter. That there doth so in the first of them
nobody will doubt, every one acknowledging that it is the
greatest baseness to invent a lie of another ; but there is as
little reason to question the other, for he that reports a thing
as a truth, which is but uncertain, is a liar also : or if he do
not report it as a certainty, but only as a probability, yet
then, though he be not guilty of the lie, yet he is of the in-
justice of robbing his neighbour of his credit ; for there is
such an aptness in men to believe ill of others, that any the
lightest jealousy will, if once it be spread abroad, serve for
that purpose ; and sure it is a most horrible injustice upon
every slight surmise and fancy to hazard the bringing so great
an evil upon another, especially when it is considered, that
those surmises commonly spring rather from some sensori-
ousness, peevishness, or malice in the surmiser, than from
any real fault in the person so suspected..
2. The manner of spreading these false reports of both
kinds is not always the same ; sometimes
FALSE WITNESS. .^ - -^ i •,'
It IS more open and avowed, sometimes
more close and private : the open is many times by false
witness before the courts of justice : and this not only hurts
a man in his credit, but in other respects also : it is the de-
livering him up to the punishment of the law, and, accord-
ing to the nature of the crime pretended, does him more or
less mischief; but if it be of the highest kind, it may con-
cern his life, as we see it did in Naboth's case, 1 Kings xxi.
How great and crying a sin it is in this respect, as also in
that of the purjury, you may learn from what hath been said
of both those sins. I am now to consider it only as it
touches the credit, and to that it is a most grievous wound,
thus to have a crime publicly witnessed against one, and
such as is scarce curable by any thing that can afterwards be
done to clear him ; and, therefore, whoever is guilty of this
doth a most outrageous injustice to his neighbour. This is
that which is expressly forbidden in the ninth Command-
ment, and was by God appointed to be punished by the inflict-
ing of the very same suffering upon him, which his false
testimony aimed to bring upon the other, Deut. xix 19.
3. The second open way of spreading these reports, is by
a public and common declaring of them ;
^ " thouffh not before the mao-istrate, as in the
DFRS • .
other case, yet in all companies, and before
SUNDAY XIII.] OF WHISPERING. 191
such as are likely to carry it farther, and this is usually done
with bitter railings and reproaches, it being an ordinary art
of slanderers, to revile those whom they slander, that so by
the sharpness of the accusation, they may have the greater
impression on the minds of the hearers. This, both in re-
spect of the slander and the railing, is a high injury, and
both of them, such as debar the committers from heaven ;
thus, Psalm xv., where the upright man is described, that
shall have his part there, this is one special thing, verse 3,
That he slander eth not his neighbour. And for railing, the
apostle in several places reckons it amongst those works of
the flesh, which are to shut men out both from the church
here by excommunication, as you may see 1 Cor. xv. 11,
and from the kingdom of God hereafter, as it is, 1 Cor.
vi. 10.
4. The other more close and private way of spreading
such reports, is that of the Whisperer, he
that goes about from one to another and whispering.
privately vents his slanders, not out of an intent by that
means to make them less public, but rather more ; this trick
of delivering them by Avay of secret, being the way to make
them both more believed, and more spoken of too ; for he
that receives such a tale as a secret from one, thinks to please
somebody else, by delivering it as a secret to him also ; and
so it passes from one hand to another, till at last it spread
over a whole town. This sort of slanderer is of all others
the most dangerous, for he works in the dark, ties all he
speaks to, not to own him as the author ; so that whereas in
the more public accusations, the party may have some means
of clearing himself and detecting his accuser, here he shall
have no possibility of that, the slander, like a secret poison,
works incurable effects, before ever the man discern it. This
sin of whispering, is by St. Paul mentioned among those
great crimes, which are the efl'ects of a reprobate mind, Rom.
i. 29. It is indeed one of the most incurable wounds of this
sword of the tongue : the very bane and pest of human
society ; and that which not only robs single persons of their
good names, but oftentimes whole families, nay, public socie-
ties of men of their peace ; what ruins, what confusions, hath
this one sin wrought in the world ? It is Solomon's observa-
tion, Prov. xvi. 28, that a whisperer separateth chief friends ;
and sure one may truly say of tongues thus employed, that
they are set on fire of hell, as St. James saith, chap. iii. 6.
192 DESPISING AND SCOFFING. LsUNDAY XIII.
5. This is such a guilt, that we are to beware of all the
degfrees of approach to it, of which there
are several steps ; the first is the giving ear
TOWARDS THIS ^^^ ^^^^ cherishing of those that come with
slanders, for they that entertain and receive
them, encourage them in the practice ; for as our common
proverb says. If there were no receivers, there would be no
thief; so if there were none that would give an ear to tales, there
would be no talebearers. A second step is, the giving too
easy credit to them, for this helps them to attain part of
their end. They desire to get a general ill opinion of sucli
a man, but the way of doing it, must be by causing it first,
in particular men ; and if thou suffer them to do it in thee,
they have so far prospered in their aim. And for thy own
part thou dost a great injustice to thy neighbour, to believe
ill of him without a just ground, which the accusation of such
a person certainly is not. A third step is the reporting to
others what is thus told thee ; by which thou makest thyself
directly a party in the slander, and after thou hast unjustly
withdrawn from thy neighbour thy own good opinion, en-
deavourest to rob him also of that of others. This is very
little below the guilt of the first whisperer, and tends as much
to the ruin of our neighbour's credit. And these several
degrees have so close a dependence one upon another, that
it will be very hard for him that allows himself the first, to
escape the other ; and indeed he that can take delight to
hear his neighbour defamed, may well be presumed of so
malicious a humour, that it is not likely he should stick at
spreading the slander. He therefore, that will preserve his
innocence in this matter, must never, in the least degree,
cherish or countenance any that brings these false reports.
And it is not less necessary to his peace, than to his inno-
cency ; for he that once entertains them, must never expect
quiet, but shall be continually incited and stirred up, even
against his nearest and dearest relations ; so that this whis-
perer and slanderer is to be looked on by all as a common
enemy, he being so as well to those to whom, as of whom
he speaks.
6. But besides this grosser way of slandering, there is
another, whereby we may impair and lessen
DESPISING AND ^i A-4. c • \\ 1 a * ' u
the credit oi our nei2:hbour, and that is by
contempt and despising, one common effect
whereof is scoffing, and deriding him. This is very inju-
SUNDAY XIII.] SCOFFING FOR INFIRMITIES. 193
rious to a man's reputation. For the generality of men do
rather take up opinions upon trust, than judgment ; and there-
fore if they see a man despised and scorned, they will be apt
to do the like. But besides this effect of it, there is a present
injustice in the very act of despising and scorning others.
There are ordinarily but three things, which are made the
occasions of it, (unless it be with such, with whom virtue
and godliness are made the most reproachful things, and such
despising is not only an injury to our neighbour, but even
to God himself, for whose sake it is that he is so despised)
those three are first, the infirmities, secondly, the calamities,
thirdly, the sins of a man, and each of these are very far
from being ground of our triumphing over him.
7. First, for infirmities, be they either of body or mind,
the deformity and unhandsomeness of the
one, or the weakness and folly of the other, ^^^ infirmi-
they are things out of his power to help,
they are not his faults, but the wise dispensations of the great
Creator, who bestows the excellencies of body and mind as
he pleases ; and therefore to scorn a man because he hath
them not, is in eflfect to reproach God who gave them not to
him.
8. So also for the calamities and miseries that befall a man,
be it want or sickness, or whatever else,
these also come by the providence of God,
who raiseth up and pulleth down, as seems
good to him, and it belongs not to us to judge, what are the
motives to him to do so, as many do, who upon any affliction
that befalls another, are presently concluding, that sure it is
some extraordinary guilt, which pulls this upon him, though
they have no particular to lay to his charge. . This rash
judgment our Saviour reproves in the Jews, Luke xiii. where
on occasion of the extraordinary sufferings of the Galileans,
he asks them, verse 2, 3, Suppose ye that these Galileans
ivere sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered
such things ? I tell you, nay, but except you repent, ye
shall all likewise perish. When we see God's hand heavy
upon others, it is no part of our business to judge them, but
ourselves, and by repentance to prevent what our own sins
have deserved. But to reproach, and revile any that are in
affliction, is that barbarous cruelty, taken notice of by the
Psalmist, as the height of wickedness. Psalm Ixix. 26, They
persecute him tvhom thou hast smitten, and they talk to
17
194 CREDIT OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. [sUNDAY XIII.
the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. In all the
miseries of others, compassion becomes a debt to them ; how
unjust are they then that, instead of paying them that debt,
afflict them with scorn and reproach ?
9. Nay, the very sins of men, though, as they have more
of their wills in them, they mav seem
' * more to deserve reproach, yet certainly
they also oblige us to the former duty of compassion, and
that in the highest degree, as being the things which, of all
others, make a man the most miserable. In all these cases,
if we consider how subject we are to the like ourselves, and
that it is only God's mercy to us, by which we are preserved
from the worst that any man else is under, it will surely
better become us to look up to him with thankfulness, than
down on them with contempt and despising. Thus you see
the direct injustice of scorning and contemning our brethren,
to which, when that other is added, which naturally follows,
as a consequent of this, to wit, the begetting the like con-
tempt in others, there can sure be no doubt of its being a
great and horrible injustice to our neighbour in respect of his
credit.
10. Now how great the injury of destroying a man's
credit is, may be measured by these two
things ; first, the value of the thing he is
robbed of; and secondly, the difficulty of
GREAT INJURY, , • ,- ^ *T, ^ * •* •
makmg reparations, ror the first, it is
commonly known, that a man's good name is a thing he holds
most precious, oftentimes dearer than his life, as we see by
the hazards men sometimes run to preserve even a mistaken
reputation ; but, it is sure, it is that which hath even by
sober men been esteemed one of the greatest happinesses of
life : and to some sort of men, such especially as subsist by
dealings in the world, it is so necessary, that it may well be
reckoned as the means of their livelihood, and then sure it
is no slight matter to rob a man of what is thus valuable to
him.
11. Secondly, the difficulty of making reparations in-
creaseth the injury ; and that is such in
AND IRREPARA- ^i • c ^ c J *i, * T *v
this case oi deiamation, that 1 may rather
call it an impossibility, than a difficulty.
For when men are possessed of an ill opinion of a person,
it is no easy matter to work it out : so that the slanderer is
herein like a young conjurer, that raises a devil he knows
SUNDAY XIII.] CREDIT OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. 195
not how to lay again. Nay, suppose men were generally as
willing to lay down ill conceits of their neighbours as they
are to take them up, how is it possible for him that makes
even the most public recantation of his slander, to be sure
that every man that hath come to the hearing of the one shall
do so of the other also ? And if there be but one person
that doth not, (as probably there will be many,) then is the
reparation still short of the injury.
12. This consideration is very fit to make men afraid of
doinff this wrong to their neighbour ; but
1 . --T ^ u J r X li YET EVERY
let It not be made use oi to excuse those
that have already done the wrong from en-
1 • ^ 1 ii, u * *• MUST DO ALL
deavourmg to make the best reparations
,, f *!, U-4.-AJ -5 n 4. HE CAN TO RE-
they can ; tor though it is odds, it will not
1 .1 •• ^ 1 i .1, \! J PAIR THE IN-
equal the injury, yet let them however do
what they are able towards it. And this is
so necessary towards the obtaining pardon of the sin, that
none must expect the one, that do not perform the other.
Whosoever, therefore, sets himself to repent of his faults of
this kind, must, by all prudent means, endeavour to restore
his neighbour to that degree of credit he hath deprived him
of; and if that be not to be done without bringing the shame
upon himself, of confessing publicly the slander, he must
rather submit to that, than be wanting to this necessary part
of justice, which he owes to the wronged party.
13. Thus I have gone through these four branches of Ne-
gative Justice to our Neighbour ; wherein we must yet fur-
ther observe, that this iustice binds us, not
, . X i- *^ 1 J .' JUSTICE IN THE
only m respect oi our words and actions,
but of our very thoughts and affections
also ; we are not only forbid to hurt, but to hate ; not only
restrained from bringing any of these evils forementioned
upon him, but we must not so much as wish them before,
nor delight in them after, they are befallen him : we must
take no pleasure either in the sin of his soul, or hurt of his
body : we must not envy him any good thing he enjoys, nor
so much as wish to possess ourselves of it ; neither will it
suffice us that we so bridle our tongue, that we neither slan-
der nor revile, if we have that malice in our hearts which
makes us wish his discredit ; or rejoice, when we find it
procured, though we have no hand in the procuring it. This
is the peculiar property of God's Laws, that they reach to
196 THE SIN OF LYING. [sUNDAY XIII.
the heart : whereas, men's can extend only to the words and
actions ; and the reason is clear, because he is the only Law-
giver that can see what is in the heart ; therefore, if there
were the perfectest innocency in our tongue and hands, yet
if there be not this purity of heart, it will never serve to
acquit us before Him. The counsel, therefore, of Solomon
is excellent, Prov. iv. 23, Keep thy heart with all diligence^
for out of it are the issues of life. Let us strictly guard
that, so that no malicious, unjust thought enter there ; and
that not only as it may be the means of betraying us to the
grosser act, but also as it is in itself such a pollution in God's
sight, as will unfit us for the blessed vision of God, whom
none but the pure in heart have promise of seeing. Matt.
V. 8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
14. I come now to speak of the Positive part of Justice,
which is the yielding to every man that
POSITIVE JUS- ^^j^.^j^ ^y ^^y j^.j^^ ^^ ^.gj^^ ^^ ^^y ^j^^j_
^ ^^' lenge from us. Of these dues there are
some that are general to all mankind, others that are restrained
within some certain conditions and qualities of men, and be-
come due only by virtue of those qualifications.
15. Of the first sort, that is, those that are due to all men,
we may reckon first, the speakinor Truth,
SPEAKING 1,- I, • J 1 X i n
which IS a common debt we owe to all man-
kind ; speech is given us as the instrument
of intercourse and society one with another,
the means of discovering the mind, which otherAvise lies hid
and concealed, so that, were it not for this, our conversations
would be but the same as of beasts. Now this being in-
tended for the good and advantage of mankind, it is a due to
it, that it be used to that purpose ; but he that lies is so far
from paying that debt, that on the contrary he makes his
speech the means of injuring and deceiving him he speaks to.
16. There might much be said to show the several sorts
of obligations we lie under to speak truth
LYING EXPRESS- ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ Supposing I write to Chris-
TV 'F'O'R'RT'n'nW
tians, I need not insist upon any other than
* the commands we have of it in Scripture ;
thus, Eph. iv. 25, the Apostle commands, that, putting away
lying, they speak every man truth with his neighbour :
and again. Col. iii. 9, Lie not one to another: and, Prov.
vi. 17, a lying tongue is mentioned as one of those things
SUNDAY XIII.] THE SIN OF PRIDE. 197
that are abominations to the Lord. Yea, so much doth he
hate a lie, that it is not the most pious and rehgious end that
can reconcile him to it ; the man that lies, though in a zeal
to God's glory, shall yet be judged as a sinner, Rom. iii. 7.
What shall then become of those multitudes of men that lie
on quite other ends ? Some out of malice, to mischief others :
some out of covetousness, to defraud their neighbours : some
out of pride, to set themselves out ; and some out of fear,
to avoid danger, or hide a fault. But of a yet stranger sort
than all these, are those that do it without any discernible
temptation, that will tell lies by way of story, take pleasure
in telling incredible things, from which themselves reap no-
thing, but the reputation of impertinent liars.
17. Among these divers kinds of falsehood. Truth is be-
come such a rarity amonof us, that it is a
most difficult matter to find such a man as
David describes. Psalm xv. 2, That speak- commonness
eth the truth from his heart. Men have ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^
so glibbed their tongues to lying that they
do it familiarly upon any or no occasion, never thinking
that they are observed either by God or man. But they are
extremely deceived in both ; for there is scarce any sin (that
is at all endeavoured to be hid) which is more discernible
even to men : they that have a custom of lying, seldom fail
(be their memory never so good) at some time or other to
betray themselves ; and when they do, there is no sort of
sin meets with greater scorn and reproach : a liar being by
all accounted a title of the greatest infamy and shame. But
as for God, it is madness to hope that all their arts can dis-
guise them from him, who needs none of those casual ways
of discovery which men do, but sees the heart, and so knows
at the very instant of speaking the falsehood of what is said :
and then, by his Title of the God of Truth, is tied, not only
to hate, but punish it : and, accordingly, you see. Rev. xxii.
that the liars are in the number of those that are shut out of
the new Jerusalem ; and not only so, but also have their
part in the lake that hurneth with fire and brimstone. If,
therefore, thou be not of the humour of that unjust judge
Christ speaks of, Luke xviii. 2, who neither feared God nor
regarded man, thou must resolve on this part of justice, the
putting away lying, which is abhorred by both.
18. A second thing we owe to all is, Humanity and
17
198 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. [sUNDAY XIII.
Courtesy of Behaviour, contrary to that
^ us B - gyijgj^ churlishness we find spoken of in
HAViouR A DUE ^^^^^^ ^j^o was of such a temper, that a
"^ ^ ^ ' man could not speak to him, 1 Sam. xxv.
17. There is sure so much of respect due to the very nature
of mankind, that no accidental advantage of weaUh or honour
which one man hath above another, can acquit him from
that debt to it, even in the person of the meanest ; and there-
fore that crabbed and harsh behaviour to any that bears but
the form of a man, is an injustice to that nature he partakes
of. And when we consider how much that nature is digni-
fied by the Son of God his taking it upon him, the obligation
to reverence it is yet greater, and consequently the sin of
thus contemning it.
19. This is the common guilt of all proud and haughty
persons, who are so busy in admirinor
NOT "PAl'n'RV •/ o
themselves, that they overlook all that is
valuable in others, and so think they owe
not so much as common civility to other
men, whilst they set up themselves, as Nebuchadnezzar did
his image, to be worshipped of all. This is sure very con-
trary to what the Apostle exhorts, Rom. xii. 10, In honour pre-
fer one another ; and again, Phil. ii. 4, Look not every
•man on his own things, hut every man also on the things
of others ; and let such remember the sentence of our bless-
ed Saviour, Luke xiv. II, He that exalteth himself shall
be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted,
which we often find made good to us, in the strange down-
falls of proud men. And it is no wonder, for this sin makes
both God and men our enemies ; God, as the scripture every
where testifies, abhors it, and all that are guilty of it, and
men are by means of it used so contemptuously and unkindly
by us, that they are by nothing more provoked against us ;
and then whom God and man thus resist, who shall secure
and uphold ?
20. A third thing we owe to all, is Meekness ; that is,
such a patience and gentleness towards all,
MEEKNESS A u • n *l. * ^ • f
as may bridle that mad passion oi anger,
which is not only very uneasy to ourselves,
as hath already been showed, but also very
mischievous to our neighbours, as the many outrages, that
are oft committed in it, do abundantly testify. That this
SUNDAY XIII. J VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 199
duty of meekness is to be extended to all men, there is no
doubt; for the Apostle in express words commands it, 1
Thes. v. 14, Be patient towards all men, and that, it should
seem, in spite of all provocation to the contrary, for the very
next words are. See that none render evil for evil, or railing
for railing ; and Timothy is commanded to exercise this
meekness, even towards them who oppose themselves against
the doctrine of the Gospel, 2 Tim. ii. 25, which was a case,
wherein some heat would probably have been allowed, if it
might have been in any.
21. This virtue of meekness is so necessary to the pre-
serving the peace of the world, that it is no
wonder that Christ, who came to plant ^^^^^'I'l^^o very
peace among men, should enjoin meekness ^^'^ufferable.
to all. I am sure the contrary effects of rage and anger are
every where discernible ; it breeds disquiet in kingdoms, in
neighbourhoods, in families, and even between the nearest
relations ; it is such a humour, that Solomon warns us never
10 enter a friendship with a man that is of it, Prov. xxii. 24,
Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a fu-
rious man thou shall not go. It makes a man unfit to be
either friend or companion, and indeed, makes one insuffer-
able to all that have to do with him, as we are again taught
by Solomon, Prov. xxi. 19, where he prefers the dwelling
in a wilderness, rather than with a contentious and angry
woman; and yet a woman has ordinarily only that one
weapon of the tongue to offend with. Indeed to any that
have not the same unquietness of humour, there can scarce
be a greater uneasiness, than to converse with those that have
it, though it never proceed farther than words. How great
this sin is, we may judge by what our Saviour says of it,
Matt. v. where there are several degrees of punishment
allotted to several degrees of it ; but alas ! we daily outgo
that which he there sets as the highest step of this sin ; the
calling, Thou fool, is a modest sort of reviling, compared
with those multitudes of bitter reproaches we use in our
rages.
22. Nay, we often go yet higher, reproaches serve not
our turn, but we must curse too. How
common is it to hear men use the horrid- ^ i^eads to
est execrations and cursings upon every the "^^^^^ great sin
slightest cause of displeasure ? Nay, per- ^^ cursing.
haps without any cause at aD ; so utterly have we forgot the
200 PARTICULAR DUES. [sUNDAY XIII.
rule of the Apostle, Rom. xii. 14, Bless and curse not; Yea,
the precept of our blessed Saviour himself. Matt. v. 44,
Pray for those that despitefully use you. Christ bids us
pray for those who do us all injury, and we are often cursing
those who do us none. This is a kind of saying our prayers
backward indeed, which is said to be part of the ceremony
the devil uses at the making of a witch, and we have in ttiis
case also reason to look on it as a means of bringing us into
acquaintance and league with that accursed spirit here, and
to a perpetual abiding with him hereafter. It is the language
of Hell, which can never fit us to be citizens of the New
Jerusalem, but marks us out for inhabitants of that land of
darkness. I conclude this with the advice of the Apostle,
Ephes. iv. 31, Let all bitterness^ and wrath, and anger,
and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you,
with all malice.
23. Having spoken thus far of those common dues, where-
in all men are concerned and have a rig'ht,
T A "RTTOTTT AT?
I am now to proceed to those other sorts
of dues, which belong to particular persons,
by virtue of some special qualification. These qualifications
may be of three kinds, that of excellency, that of want, and
that of relation.
24. By that of excellency, I mean any extraordinary gifts
or endowments of a person ; such as wis-
dom, learnino;, and the like, but especially
TO MEN OF EX- rr.u i • .i, • i a c
ffrace. 1 hese bemo^ the smsrular ofitls of
TRAORDINARY r^ j 1 . ^i a ? J <.
God, have a great value and respect due to
them, wheresoever they are to be found ;
and this we must readily pay by a willing and glad acknow-
ledgment of those his gifts in any he has bestowed them on,
and bearing them a reverence and respect, answerable there-
unto, and not out of an overweening of our own excellencies,
despise and undervalue those of others, as they do who will
yield nothing to be reason, but what themselves speak, nor
any thing piety, but what agrees with their own practice.
25. Also we must not envy or grudge that they have those
ffifts, for that is not only an injustice to them,
WE ARE NOT ? ^ • • • 1 4. r^ A \ .1
but mmrious also to God who ffave them,
TO ENVY THEM. -^ • x 1 4. r .U • +1. n r
as It IS at large set forth m the parable of
the labourers, Matt. xx. where he asks them who grumbled
at the master's bounty to others, Is it not lawful for me 1o
SUNDAY XIII.] ENVY AND DETRACTION. 201
do what I will with my own ? is thine eye evil because
mine is good ? This envying at God's goodness to others,
is in effect, a murmuring against God, who thus disposes it ;
neither can there be a greater and more direct opposition
against him, than for me to hate and wish ill to a man, for
no other reason, but because God has loved and done well
to him. And then in respect of the man, it is the most un-
reasonable thing in the world, to love him the less, merely be-
cause he has those good qualities, for which I ought to love
him more.
26. Neither must we detract from the excellencies of
others, we must not seek to eclipse or
darken them by denying either the kinds or
J r .1, u \.u i i ^ 1 cc FROM THEM.
degrees oi them, by that means to take on
that esteem which is due to them. This sin of detraction is
generally the effect of the former, of envy ; he that envies a
man's worth, will be apt to do all he can to lessen it in the
opinions of others, and to that purpose will either speak
slightly of his excellencies ; or if they be so apparent, that
he knows not how to cloud them, he will try if he can by re-
porting some either real or feigned infirmity of his, take off
from the value of the other, and so by casting in some dead
flies, as the Wise man speaks, Eccles ; x. 1 ; strive to cor-
rupt the savour of the ointment. This is a great injustice,
and directly contrary to that duty we owe, of acknowledging
and reverencing the gifts of God in our brethren.
27. And both those sins of envy and detraction do iisually
prove as gfreat follies, as wickedness ; the
° ^1 , . . , ^ ' , THE FOLLY OF
envy constantly brmffs pain and torment to
•> ^c X, -r u 1 J u * 1 BOTH THOSE
a man s self, whereas if he could but cheer-
fully and gladly look on those good things
of another's, he could never fail to be the better for them
himself ; the very pleasure of seeing them would be some
advantage to him : but besides that, those gifts of his brother
may be many ways helpful to him ; his wisdom and learn-
ing may give him instruction ; his piety and virtue, example,
&c. But all this the envious man loseth, and hath nothing
in exchange for it, but a continual fretting, and gnawing of
heart.
28. And then for detraction, that can hardly be so managed,
but it will be found out ; he that is still putting in caveats against
men's good thoughts of others, will quickly discover him
202 DUES TO THOSE IN WAXT. [sUNDAY XIII.
self lo do it out of envy, and then that will be sure to lesspn
their esteem of himself, but not of those he envies, it bein^
a sort of bearing testimony to those excellencies, that he
thinks them worth the envying.
29. What hath been said of the value and respect due to
those excellencies of the mind, may, in a
EC UE YoxvQY degree be applied to the outward ad-
vantages of honour, greatness, and the like.
These though they are not of equal value
THEIR RANKS • , ^u f /A U 1,\
with the tormer (and such, which no man
■ is to prize himself,) yet in regard that these
degrees and distinctions of men are by God's wise provi-
dence disposed for the better ordering of the world, there is
such a civil respect due to those, to whom God hath dis-
pensed them, as may best preserve that order, for which they
were intended. Therefore all inferiors are to behave them-
selves to their superiors with modesty and respect, and not
by a rude boldness confound that order which it hath pleased
God to set in the world, but according as our Church Cate-
chism teaches. Order themselves loivly and reverently to all
their betters. And here the former caution against envy
comes in most seasonably ; these outward advantages being
things of which generally men have more taste than of the
other ; and, therefore, will be more apt to envy and repine
to see others exceed them therein ; to this, therefore, all the
former considerations against envy will be very proper, and
the more necessary to be made use of, by how much the
temptation is in this case to most minds the greater.
30. The second qualification is that of want ; whoever is
in distress for any thins: wherewith I can
DUES TO THOSE i i- .i, * j- x r i, • ^
supply him, that distress oi his makes it a
THAT ARE IN a\ • x ^ X,- j ^u- •
duty in me so to supply him, and this m
ANY SORT OF u i • j c ^ tvt ^i, j r
all kinds oi wants. JNow the ground oi
its being a duty is, that God hath given
men abilities not only for their own use, but for their advan-
tage and benefit of others ; and, therefore, what is thus given
for their use, becomes a debt to them, whenever their need
requires it. Thus he that is ignorant and wants knowledge,
is to be instructed by him that hath it, and this is one special
end, why that knowledge is given him ; The tongue of the
learned is given to speak a word in season, Isaiah 1. 4.
He that is in sadness and affliction, is to be comforted by hhn
SUNDAY XIII.] DUES TO THE POOR. 203
that is himself in cheerfulness. This we see St Panl makes
the end of God's comforting him, that he might be able to
comfort them that are in any trouble, 2 Cor. i. 4. He that
is in any course of sin, and wants reprehension and counsel,
must have that want supplied to him by those who have such
abilities and opportunities, as may make it likely to do good.
That this is a justice we owe to our neighbour, appears
plainly by that Text, Lev. xix. 17, Thou shall not hate thy
brother in thy heart ^ thou shall in any wise reprove him,
and not suffer sin upon him ; where we are under the same
obligation to reprove him, that we are not to hate him. He
that lies under any slander, or unjust defamation, is to bo
defended and cleared by him that knows his innocence, or
else he makes himself guilty of the slander, because he ne-
glects to do that which may remove it ; and how great an
injustice that of slandering our neighbour is, I have already
showed.
31. Lastly, he that is in poverty and need, must be re-
lieved by him that is in plenty : and he is
V 1 ^ •. A 1 • u -^ u ^ TO THE POOR.
bound to It, not only in charity, but even
in justice. Solomon calls it a due, Prov. iii. 27, Withhold
not good from him to whom it is due, when it is in the
poiver of thine hand to do it : and what that good is he
explains in the very next verse : Say not to thy neighbour,
Go and come again, and to-morrow I ivill give, when thou
hast it by thee. It seems it is the withholding a due, so
much as to defer giving to our poor neighbour. And we find
God did among the Jews separate a certain portion of every
man's increase to the use of the poor, a tenth every third
year (which is all one with a thirtieth part every year,)
Deut. xiv. 28, 29. And this was to be paid, not as a charity,
or liberality, but as a debt, they were unjust if they withheld
it. And surely we have no reason to think, that Christian
justice is sunk so much below the Jewish, that either no-
thing at all, or a less proportion is now required of us. I
wish our practice were but at all answerable to our obliga-
tion in this point, and then surely we should not see so many
Lazaruses lie unrelieved at our doors, they having a better
right to our superfluities, than we ourselves have ; and then
what is it but errant robbery to bestow that upon our vanities,
nay, our sins, which should be their portion ?
32. In all the foregoing cases he that hath ability is to look
204 DUTIES OF RELATION. [sUNDAY XIII.
upon himself as God's steward, who hath
GOD WITH- p^^ .^ .^^^ j^.g j^^j^(jg ^Q distribute to them
DRAWS THOSE ^j^^^ ^^^^^ , ^^^^ therefore, not to do it, is
■^^ ^ the same injustice and fraud, that it would
AVTTTPH ARE i
be in any steward to purse up that money
for his private benefit which was entrusted
^ * to him for the maintenance of the family ;
and he that shall do thus hath just reason to expect the doom
of the unjust steward, Luke xvi, to be put out of his stew-
ardship, to have those abilities taken from him, which he
hath so unfaithfully employed. And as for all the rest, so
particularly for that wealth, it is very commonly to be ob-
served, that it is withdrawn from those that thus defraud the
poor of their parts, the griping miser coming often by strange
undiscernible ways to poverty ; and no wonder, he having
no title to God's blessing on his heap who does not conse-
crate a part to him in his poor members. And, therefore, we
see the Israelites before they could make that challenge of
God's promise to bless them, Deut. xxvi. 15, Look down
from thy holy habitation and bless thy people Israel, <fec. ;
they were first to pay poor man tithes, verse 13, without
which they could lay no claim to it. This withholding
more than is m,eet, as Solomon says, Prov. xi. 24, tends to
poverty^ and, therefore, as thou wouldst play the good
husband for thyself, be careful to perform this justice accord-
ing to thy ability to all that are in want.
33. The third qualification is that of Relation, and of that
there may be divers sorts, arising from
divers grounds, and duties answerable to
respect of re- ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ rpj^^j.^ -g ^^g^ ^ relation of
a Debtor to a Creditor ; and he that stands
in that relation to any, whether by virtue of bargain, loan,
or promise, it is his duty to pay justly what he owes, if he
be able (as on the other side, if he be not, it is the Creditor's,
to deal charitably and Christianly with him, and not to exact
of him beyond his ability). But I need not insist on this,
having already, by showing you the sin of withholding debts,
informed you of this duty.
34. There is also a relation of an obliged person to his
Benefactor, that is, one that hath done him
gratitude to gQQ(j^ Qf \vh2ii kind soever, whether spirit-
benefactors. ^.^j ^^ corporal ; and the duty of that per-
son is, first thankfulness, that is, a ready and hearty acknow-
SUNDAY XIII.] GRATITUDE TO BENEFACTORS. 205
ledgment of the courtesy received : secondly, prayer for
God's blessings, and rewards upon him ; and thirdly, an en-
deavour, as opportunity and ability serves, to make returns
of kindness, by doing good turns back again. This duty
of gratitude to Benefactors is so generally acknowledged by
all, even the most barbarous and savagest of men, that he
must have put off much of his human nature that refuses to
perform it. The very Publicans and Sinners, as our Saviour
says. Do good to those that do good to them.
35. Yet how many of us fail even in this ! how frequent
is it to see men not only neglect to repay
. . , . , ■ ^ • , A c THE CONTRARY
courtesies, but return inmries mstead ol
.V , tI • ^ I ui • TOO COMMON.
them f It IS too observable m many par-
ticulars, but in none more than in the case of advice and ad-
monition, which is of all others the most precious part of
kindness, the reallest good turn that can be done from one
man to another. And, therefore, those that do this to us,
should be looked on as our prime and greatest benefac-
tors. But alas ! how few are there that can find gratitude,
shall I say ? nay, patience for such a courtesy ? Go about to
admonish a man of a fault, or tell him of an error, he pre-
sently looks on you as his enemy : you are as St. Paul tells
the Galatians chap. iv. 16, Become his enemy because you
tell him, the truth; such a pride there is in men's hearts,
that they must not be told of any thing amiss, though it be
with no other intent but that they may amend it. A strange
madness this is, the same that it would be in a sick man to
fly in the face of him that comes to cure him, on a fancy
that he disparaged him in supposing him sick ; so that we
may well say with the wise man, Prov. xii. 1, He that
hateth reproof is brutish. There cannot be in the world a
more unhappy temper, for it fortifies a man in his sins ;
raises such mounts and bulwarks about them, that no man
can come to assault them ; and if we may believe Solomon,
destruction will not fail to attend it, Prov. xxix. 1, He that,
being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy. But then again in
respect of the admonisher, it is the greatest injustice, I may
say, cruelty that can be ; he comes in tenderness and com-
passion to rescue thee from danger; and to that purpose puts
himself upon a very uneasy task ; for such the general im-
patience men have to admonition, hath now made it, and
18
206 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV.
what a defeat, what a grief is it to him to find, that instead
of reforming the first fault, thou art run into a second, to
wit, that of causeless displeasure against him ? This is one
of the worst, and yet I doubt, the commonest sort of unthank-
fulness to Benefactors, and so a great failing in that duty we
owe to that sort of relation. But, perhaps, these will be
looked on as remote relations (yet it is sure they are such as
challenge all that duty I have assigned to them,) I shall in
the next place proceed to those relations which are by all
acknowledged to be of the greatest nearness.
SUNDAY XIV.
Of Duty to Magistrates, Pastors. Of the Duty of Parents to Children, &c.
Of Children's Duty unto Parents, &c.
The first of those nearer sorts of relations is that of a
Parent ; and here it will be necessary to
DUTY TO PA" • 1
consider the several sorts of Parents, accord-
RENTS. .^^ ^^ which the duty of them is to be
measured. Those are these three, the Civil, the Spiritual,
the Natural.
2. The Civil Parent is he whom God hath established
the Supreme Magistrate, who by a iust
DUTIES TO THE • i ^ ii, rrii • *•
riffht possesses the 1 hrone m a nation.
SUPREME 3IA- m*?- • ,i r .^ c n .u xi, a
1 his IS the common lather of all those that
are under his authority. The duty we owe
to this Parent is first. Honour and Reverence, looking on
him as upon one whom God hath stamped
much of his own power and authority, and
therefore paying him all honour and esteem, never daring,
upon any pretence whatsoever, to speak evil of the ruler of
our people, Acts xxiii. 5.
3. Secondly, paying Tribute : this is expressly commanded
by the Apostle, Rom. xiii. 6, Fay ye Tri-
TRiBUTE. ^^^g ^j^^^ y.^^, ^j^^^ ^^^ God\s ministers,
attending continually upon this very thing. God has set
them apart as ministers for the common good of the people,
and therefore it is all justice they should be maintained and
supported by them. And, indeed, when it is considered
what are the cares and troubles of that high calling, how
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 207
many thorns are platted in every crown, we have very little
reason to envy them these dues ; and it may truly be said,
there is none of their poor labouring subjects that earns their
living so hardly.
4. Thirdly, we are to pray for them ; this is also expressly
commanded by the Apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 2, pj^^yers for
to be done for kings, and all that are in them
authority. The businesses of that calling
are so weighty, the dangers and hazards of it so great, that
they of all others need prayers for God's direction, assist-
ance, and blessing ; and the prayers that are thus poured out
for them will return into our own bosoms ; for the blessings
they receive from God tend to the good of the people, to
their living a quiet and peaceable life, as it is in the close
of the verse forementioned.
5. Fourthly, we are to pay them Obedience. This is
likewise strictly charged by the Apostle, obedience.
1 Pet. ii. 13, Submit yourselves to every
ordinatice of man for the Lord's sake, whether it he the
King, as Supreme, or unto Governors, as those that are
sent by him. We owe such an obedience to the supreme
power, that whoever is authorized by him, we are to submit
to ; and St. Paul likewise is most full to this purpose, Rom.
xiii. 1, Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.
And again, verse 2, Whosoever resisteth the powers, resist-
efh the ordinance of God. And it is observable, that these
precepts were given at a time when those powers were
heathens, and cruel persecutors of Christianity ; to show us,
that no pretence of the wickedness of our rulers can free us
of this duty. An obedience we must pay either active or
passive ; the active in the case of all lawful commands ; that
is, whenever the magistrate commands something, which is
not contrary to some command of God, we are then bound
to act according to that command of the magistrate, to do the
things he requires. But when he enjoins any thing contrary
to what God hath commanded, we are not then to pay him
this active obedience : we may, nay, we must, refuse thus to
act, (yet here we must be very well assured that the thing
is so contrary, and not pretend conscience for a cloak of
stubbornness,) we are in that case to obey God rather than
man. But even this is a season for the passive obedience,
we must patiently suffer what he inflicts on us for such re-
fusal, and not to secure ourselves, rise up against him. For
208 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV.
wlio can stretch his hand against the Lord's anointed, and
he guiltless? says David to Abishai, 1 Sam. xxvi. 9, and that
at a time when David was under a great persecution from
Saul, nay, had also the assurance of the kingdom after him ;
and St. Paul's sentence in this case is most heavy, Rom. xiii.
2, They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Here is very small encouragement to any to rise up against
the lawful magistrate, for though they should so far prosper
here, as to secure themselves from him by this means, yet
there is a King of kings from whom no power can shelter
them, and this damnation in the close will prove a sad prize
of their victories. What is on the other side, the duty of
the magistrate to the people, will be vain to mention here,
none of that rank being like to read this Treatise, and it being
very useless for the people to inquire what is the duty of
their Supreme, wherein the most are already much better
read, than in their own : it may suffice them to know, that
whatsoever his duty is, or however performed, he is account-
able to none but God, and no failing of his part can warrant
them to fail of theirs.
6. The second sort of Parents are the Spiritual ; that is,
the ministers of the word, whether such as be governors in
the church or others under them, who are
DUTIES TO OUR ^ r ^u ra ^ i
to perform the same othces to our souls
that our natural parents do to our bodies.
Thus St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that in Christ Jesus he
had begotten them through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15 ; and
the Galatians, chap. iv. 19, that he travails in birth of them,
till Christ be formed in them: and again, 1 Cor. iii. 2, He
had fed them with milk, that is, such doctrines as were agree-
able to that infant state of Christianity they were then in ;
but he had stronger meat for them of full age, Heb. v. 14.
All these are the offices of a parent, and therefore they that
perform them to us may well be accounted as such.
7. Our duty to these is, first, to love them, to bear them
that kindness which belongs to those who
do us the greatest benefits. This is required
by St. Paul, 1 Thess. v. 12 : I beseech you, brethren, mark
them which labour among you, and are over you in the
Lord, and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in
love for their work^s sake. The work is such as ought in
all reason to procure them love, it being of the highest ad-
vantage to us.
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 209
8. Secondly, it is our duty to value and esteem them, as
we see in the text now mentioned ; and
surely this is most reasonable, if we con- ^'
sider either the nature of their work or who it is that em-
ploys them. The nature of their work is of all others the most
excellent. We use to value other professions proportionably
to the dignity and worth of the things they deal in. Now
surely there is no merchandize of equal worth with a soul ;
and this is their traffic, rescuing precious souls from perdition.
And if we consider further, who it is that employs them, it
yet adds to the reverence due to them. They are ^Embas-
sadors for Christ, 2 Cor. v. 20 ; and ambassadors are by the
laws of all nations to be used with a respect answerable to the
quality of those that send them. Therefore Christ tells his
disciples, when he sends them out to preach, He that de-
spiseth you despiseth me, and he that despiseth me despiseth
him that sent me, Luke x. 16. It seems there is more de-
pends on the despising of ministers than men ordinarily con-
sider, it is the despising of God and Christ both. Let those
think of this, who make it their pastime and sport to affront
and deride this calling. And let those also, who dare pre-
sume to exercise the office of it, without being lawfully called
to it , which is a most high presumption ; it is as if a man of
his own head should go as an ambassador from his prince.
The apostle says of the priests of the law, which yet are in-
ferior to those of the Gospel, That no man taketh this ho-
nour to himself, hut he which was called of God, Heb. v. 4.
How shall then any man dare to assume this greater honour
to himself that is not called to it ? Neither will it suffice to
say, they have the inward call of the spirit; for since God
hath established an order in the Church, for the admitting
men to this office, they that shall take it upon them without
that authority, resist that ordinance, and are but of the num-
ber of those thieves and robbers, as our Saviour speaks,
John x., which come not in by the door. Beside, the sad
experience of these times shows, that many who pretend
most to this inward call of the spirit, are called by some
other spirit than that of God, the doctrines they vent, being
usually directly contrary to that word of his, on which all
true doctrines must be founded. Such are to be looked on
as those seducers, those false prophets, whereof we are so
often warned in the Epistles of the Apostles. And who-
soever countenances them, or follows them, partakes with
18*
210 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV,
them in their guilt. It is recorded of Jeroboam, as a crying
sin, that he made of the meanest of the people priests ; that
is, such as had by God's institution no right to it : and who-
ever hearkens to these uncalled preachers, runs into that
very sin : for without the encouragement of being followed,
they would not long continue in the course, and therefore
they that give them that encouragement, have much to an-
swer for, and are certainly guilty of the sin of despising their
true pastors, when they shall thus set up these false apostles
against them. This is a guilt this age is too much concerned
in, God in his mercy so timely convince us of it, as may put
a stop to that confusion and impiety, which breaks in so
fast upon us by it.
9. Thirdly, We owe to them Maintenance : but of this I
have spoken already in the first part of
MAINTENANCE. ^j^.^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^
Fourthly, We owe them Obedience. Obey them, saith the
Apostle, that have the rule over you, and
OBEDIENCE. l -^ 7 x- xi ^ 7 /•
submit yourselves, jor they watch jor your
souls, Heb. xiii. 17. This obedience is to be paid them in
spiritual things ; that is, whatsoever they out of God's word
shall declare to us to be God's commands, these we are
diligently to obey, remembering that it is not they but God
requires it, according to that of Christ, He that heareth you
heareth me, Luke x. 16. And this, whether it be delivered
by the way of public preaching, or private exhortation, for
in both, so long as they keep them to the rule, which is God's
word, they are the Messengers of the Lord of Hosts, Mal.
ii. 7. This obedience the apostle enforceth from a double
motive, one taken from their ministry, another from them-
selves. TTiey ivatch, says he, for your souls, as they that
must give an account, that they m^ay do it with joy, and
not with grief. The people are by their obedience to enable
their pastors to give a comfortable account of their souls ;
and it is a most unkind return of all their care and labours,
to be put to grieve for the ill success of them. But then in
the second place, it is their own concernment also ; they may
put their ministers to the discomfort of seeing all their pains
cast away, but themselves are like to get little by it, that,
says the Apostle, Heb. xiii. 17, will be unprofitable for
you ; it is yourselves that will finally prove the losers by it,
you lose all those glorious rewards, which are offered as the
crown of this obedience ; you get nothing but an addition to
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 211
your sin and punishment; for as our Saviour tells the
Pharisees, if he had not come and spoken to them, they had
not had sin, John xv. 24, that is, in comparison with what
they then had ; so certainly they that never had the Gospel
preached to them, are much more innocent than they that
have heard and resisted it. And for the punishment, what
Christ told those to whom he had preached, that it should
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, which were heathen
cities, than for them, the same undoubtedly we may conclude
for ourselves.
10. Lastly, we are to pray for them. This St. Paul
every where requires of his spiritual chil-
dren ; thus Eph. vi. 19, having commanded ^^^^^^^ ^^^
prayer for all saints, he adds, And for me,
that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my
mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel ;
and so again. Col. iv. 3. And this remains still a duty to
these spiritual fathers, to pray for such assistances of God's
spirit to them, as may enable them rightly to discharge that
holy calling. I shall omit to set down here, what is the
duty of ministers to the people, upon the same considera-
tion, on which I forbear to mention the duty of magistrates.
11. The third sort of Parent is the Natural, the fathers
of our flesh, as the Apostle calls them,
tj •• n A 1 * .1 1 DUTIES TO OUR
Heb. xn. 9. And to these we owe several
duties ; as first, we owe them reverence ^ ^
and respect; we must behave ourselves
towards them with all humility and observance, and must
not upon any pretence of infirmity in them
A • f ^1, -^u • ^ A REVERENCE.
despise or contemn them, either in outward
behaviour, or so much as inwardly in our hearts. If, in-
deed, they have infirmities, it must be our business to cover
and conceal them ; like Shem and Japheth, who, while
cursed Ham published and disclosed the nakediiess of their
father, covered it, Gen. ix. 23 ; and that in such a manner
too, as even themselves might not behold it. We are as
much as may be to keep ourselves from looking on those
nakednesses of our parents, which may tempt us to think
irreverently of them. This is very contrary to the prac-
tice of too many children, who do not only publish and de-
ride the infirmities of their parents, but pretend they have
those infirmities they have not ; there is ordinarily such a
pride and headiness in youth, that they cannot abide to sub-
212 DUTY TO FAREMS. [sUNDAY XIV.
mit to the counsels and directions of tlieir elders, and there-
fore to shake them off, are willing to have them pass for the
effects of dotage, when they are indeed the fruits of sobriety
and experience. To such the exhortation of Solomon is very
necessary, Prov. xxiii. 22 : Hearken to thy father that begat
thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. A mul-
titude of texts more there are in that book to this purpose,
which shows that the wisest of men thought it necessary for
children to attend to the counsel of their parents. But the
youth of our age set up for wisdom the quite contrary way,
and think they then become wits, when they are advanced
to the despising the counsel, yea, mocking the persons of
their parents. Let such, if they will not practise the exhor-
tations, yet remember the threatening of the wise man, Prov.
XXX. 17 : The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth
to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it
out and the young eagles shall eat it.
13. A second duty we owe to them is Love ; we are to
bear them a real kindness, such as may
make us heartily desirous of all manner of
good to them, and abhor to do any thing that may grieve and
disquiet them. This will appear but common gratitude, when
it is remembered what our parents have done for us, how
they were not only the instruments of first bringing us into
the world, but also of sustaining and supporting us after ; and
certainly they rightly weigh the cares and fears, that go to
the bringing up of a child, will judge the love of that child
to be but a moderate return for them. This love is to be
expressed several ways, first, in all kindness of behaviour,
carrying ourselves not only with an awe and respect, but
with kindness and affection ; and, therefore, most gladly and
readily doing those things which may bring joy and comfort
to them, and carefully avoiding whatever may grieve and
afflict them. Secondly, this love is to be expressed in pray-
ing for them. The debt a child owes to a parent is so great,
that he can never hope himself to discharge it ; he is, there-
fore, to call in God's aid, to beg of him, that he will reward
all the good his parents have done for him, by multiplying
his blessings upon them : what shall we then say to those
children that, instead of calling to Heaven for blessings on
their parents, ransack hell for curses on them, and pour out
the blackest execrations against them ? This is a thing so hor-
rid, that one would think they needed no persuasion against
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 213
it; because none could be so vile as to iiill into it; but we
see God himself, who best knows men's hearts, saw it pos-
sible ; and, therefore, laid the heaviest punishment upon it, He
that curseth father or mother, let him die the death, Exod.
xxi. 17. And alas I our daily experience tells us, it is not
only possible but common, even this of uttering curses. But
it is to be feared, there is another yet more common, that is,
the wishing curses, though fear or shame keep them from
speaking out. How many children are there that, either
through impatience of the government or greediness of the
possessions of the parents, have wished their deaths ? But
whoever doth so, let him remember, that how slily and fairly
soever he carry it before men, there is one that sees those
secretest wishes of his heart, and in his sight he assuredly
passes for this heinous offender, a cursor of his parents.
And then let it be considered, that God hath as well the
power of punishing, as of seeing ; and, therefore, since he
hath pronounced death to be the reward of that sin, it is not
unreasonable to expect he may himself inflict it ; that they
who watch for the death of their parents, may untimely meet
with their own. The fifth commandment promiseth long life
as the reward of honouring the parent, to which it is very
agreeable that untimely death be the punishment of the con-
trary, and sure there is nothing more highly contrary to that
duty, than this we are now speaking of, the cursing our Par
rents.
14. The third duty we owe to them is obedience: this is
not only contained in the fifth command-
X u X 1 • • J • iV 1 OBEDIENCE.
ment, but expressly enjomed m other places
of Scripture, Ephes. vi. 1 , Children, obey your Parents in
the Lord, for this is right ; and again Col. iii. 20, Chil-
dren, obey your Parents in all things, for this is well
pleasing to the Lord. We owe them an obedience in all
things, unless where their commands are contrary to the
commands of God, for in that case our duty to God must be
preferred : and, therefore, if any parent shall be so wicked
as to require his child to steal, to lie, or to do any unlawful
thing, the child then offends not against his duty, though he
disobey that command ; nay, he must disobey, or else he
offends against a higher duty, even that he owes to God his
Heavenly Father. Yet when it is thus necessary to refuse
obedience, he should take care to do it in such a modest and
respectful manner, that it may appear it is conscience only,
214 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV.
and not stubbornness, moves him to it. But in case of all
lawful commands, that is, when the thing commanded is either
good, or not evil, when it hath nothing in it contrary to our
duty to God, there the child is bound to obey, be the com-
mand in a weightier or lighter matter. How little this duty
is regarded is too manifest every where in the world, where
Parents generally have their children no longer under com-
mand than they are under the rod ; when they are once
grown up, they think themselves free from all obedience to
them ; or if some do continue to pay it, yet let the motive
of it be examined, and it will in too many be found only
worldly prudence. They fear to displease their Parents, lest
they should shorten their hand towards them, and so they
shall lose somewhat by it ; but how few are there that obey
purely upon conscience of duty ? This sin of disobedience
to Parents was, by the Law of Moses, punishable with death,
as you may read Deut. xxi. 18; but if Parents now-a-days
should proceed so with their children, many might soon make
themselves childless.
15. But of all the acts of disobedience, that of marrying
against the consent of the Parent is one of
ESPECIALLY IN ^^^ j^-^j^^^^^ Children are so much the
THEIR goods, the possessions of their Parent, that
MARRIAGE. ^^^^ cannot, without a kind of theft, give
away themselves without the allowance of those that have
the right in them ; and, therefore, we see under the law, the
Maid that hath made any vow was not suffered to perform
it, without the consent of the Parent, Numb. xxx. 5. The
right of the Parent was thought of force enough to cancel
and make void the obhgation, even of a vow ; and, therefore,
surely it ought to be so much considered by us as to keep us
from making any such, whereby that right is infringed.
16. A fourth duty to the Parent, is to assist and minister
to them in all their wants of what kind
MINISTERING TO ^^^^^^^^ whether weakness and sickness of
THEIR WANTS. ^^^^^ decaycducss of understanding, or
poverty and lowness in estate ; in all these the child is bound,
according to his ability, to relieve and assist them : for the
two former, weakness of body, and infirmity of mind, none
can doubt of the duty, when they remember how every child
did in his infancy receive the very same benefit from the Pa-
rents ; the child had then no strength to support, no under-
standing to guide itself; the care of the Parents was fain to
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 215
supply both these to it ; and, therefore, in common gratitude,
whenever either of these becomes the Parent's case, as some-
times by great age, or some accident both do, the child is to
perform the same offices back again to them. As for that
of relieving their poverty, there is the very same obligation
to that with the former, it being but just to sustain thy Parent
who has formerly sustained thee ; but besides this, Christ
himself teaches us, that this is contained within the precept
of honouring their Parents; for when, Mark vii. 13, he
accuses the Pharisees of rejecting the commandment of
God, to cleave to their own traditions, he instances in this
particular concerning the relieving of Parents, whereby it is
manifest that this is a part of that duty which is enjoined in
the fifth commandment, as you may see at large in the text,
and such a duty it is, that no pretence can absolve or acquit
us of it. How then shall those answer it that deny relief to
their poor Parents, that cannot part with their own excesses
and superfluities, which are indeed their sins, to satisfy the
necessities of those to whom they owe their being ? Nay,
some there are yet worse, who out of pride scorn to own
their Parents in their poverty : thus it often happens, when
the child is advanced to dignity or wealth, they think it a
disparagement to them to look on their Parents that remain
in a low condition, it being the betraying, as they think, to
the world the meanness of their birth, and so the poor Pa-
rent fares the worse for the prosperity of his child. This
is such a pride and unnaturalness together, as will surely
find a sharp vengeance from God ; for if Solomon observes
of Pride alone, that it is the forerunner of destruction, Prov.
xvi. 18, we may much rather conclude so of it, when it is
thus accompanied.
17. To this that hath been said of the duty of children to
their Parents, I shall add only this ; that no unkindness, no
fault of the Parent, can acquit the child of this duty ; but as
St. Peter tells servants, 1 Pet. ii. 18, that
they must be subject, not only to the good
and gentle masters, but also to the fro-
P . • 1 -^ u 1 * 1 -l*^ THE WORST OF
ward ; so certamly it belongs to children
to perform duty, not only to the kind and
virtuous, but even to the harshest, and wickedest Parent.
For though the gratitude due to a kind Parent be a very forci-
ble motive to make the child pay his duty, yet that is not the
only nor chiefest ground of it ; that is laid in the command
216 parents' duty to children. [SUNDAY XIV.
of God, who requires us thus to honour our Parents. And
therefore, though we should suppose a Parent so unnatural,
as never to have done any thing to oblige the child (which
can hardly be imagined) yet still the command of God con-
tinues in force, and we are, in conscience of that, to perform
that duty to our Parents, though none of the other tie of
gratitude should lie on us.
But as this is due from the child to the Parents, so on the
other side there are other things also due
from the Parents to the Child, and that
throughout the several states and ages
of It.
18. First, There is the care of nourishing and sustaining
it, which begins from the very birth, and
TO NOURISH ' . J . r ^1, T> * A\ ii,
contmues a duty from the Parent, till the
TH'FM'
child be able to perform it to himself; this
is a duty which nature teaches ; even the savage beasts have
a great care and tenderness in nourishing their young, and
therefore may serve to reproach and condemn all Parents
who shall be so unnatural as to neglect this. I shall not
here enter into the question, whether the mother he obliged
to give the child its first nourishment, by giving it suck
herself, because it will not be possible to affirm universally
in the case, there being many circumstances which may
alter it, and make it not only lawful, but best not to do it ;
all I shall say is, that where no impediment of sickness,
weakness, or the like does happen, it is surely best for the
mother herself to perform this office, there being many ad-
vantages to the child by it, which a good mother ought so
far to consider, as not to sell them to her own sloth, or nice-
ness, or any such unworthy motive ; for where such only
are the grounds of forbearing it, they will never be able to
justify the omission, they being themselves unjustifiable.
But besides this first care, which belongs to the body of
the child, there is another, which should
BRING THEM TO , . , ^■^l^ ^ ^u •
beffm near as earh'-, which belongs to their
BAPTISM . .
souls, and that is the bringing them to the
Sacrament of Baptism, thereby to procure them an early right
to all those precious advantages, which that Sacrament con-
veys to them. This is a duty the Parents ought not to delay,
it being most reasonable that they who have been instruments
to convey the stain and pollution of sin to the poor infant,
should be very earnest and industrious to have it washed oflf
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTY TO CHILDREN. 217
as soon as may be : besides, the life of so tender a creature
is but a blast, and many times gone in a moment; and thouo-h
we are not to despair of God's mercy to those poor children,
who die without baptism, yet surely those Parents commit a
great fault by whose neglect it is that they want it.
19. Secondly, the Parents must provide for the education
of the child ; thev must, as Solomon speaks,
Prov. xxii. 6, train up the child in the ^^^^^^e them.
ivay he should go. As soon therefore as children come to
the use of reason, they are to be instructed, and that first in
those things which concern their eternal well being ; they
are, by little and little, to be taught all those things which
God hath commanded them as their duty to perform ; as also
what glorious rewards he hath provided for them, if they do
it, and what grievous and eternal punishment if they do it
not. These things ought, as early as is possible, to be in-
stilled into the minds of children, which (like new vessels)
do usually keep the flavour of that which is first put into
them ; and therefore it nearly concerns all Parents to look
they be at first thus seasoned with virtue and religion. It
is sure if this be neglected, there is one ready at hand to fill
them with the contrary : the devil will be diligent enough to
instil into them all wickedness and vice, even from their
cradles ; and there being also in all our natures so much the
greater aptness to evil than to good, there is need of great
care and watchfulness to prevent those endeavours of that
enemy of souls, which .can no way be, but by possessing
them at first with good things, breeding in them a love to
virtue, and a hatred of vice ; that so when the temptations
come, they may be armed against them. This surely is
above all things the duty of Parents to look after, and the
neglect of it is a horrible cruelty ; we justly look upon those
Parents as most unnatural Avretches, that take away the life
of their child ; but alas ! that is mercy and tenderness, com-
pared to this of neglecting his education, for by that he ruins
his soul, makes him miserable eternally ; and God knows
multitudes of such cruel Parents there are in the world, that
thus give up their children to be possessed by the devil, for
want of an early acquainting them with the ways of God ;
nay, indeed, how few there are that do conscionably perform
this duty, is too apparent by the strange rudeness and igno-
rance that is generally among youth. The children of those
who call themselves Christians being frequently as ignorant
19
218 parents' duty to children. [SUNDAY XIV.
of God and Christ, as the merest heathens. But whoever
they are that thus neglect this great duty, let them know that,
it is not only a fearful misery they bring upon their poor
children, but 'also a horrible guilt upon themselves. For as
God says to the careless watchman, Ezek. iii. 18, That if
any soul perish by his negligence, that soul shall he required
at his hands ; so surely will it fare with all Parents who
have this office of watchman intrusted to them by God over
their own children. A second part of education is the bring-
ing them up to some employment, busying them in some
honest exercise, whereby they may avoid that great snare of
the devil, idleness ; and also be taught some useful art or
trade, whereby when they come to age, they may become
profitable to the commonwealth, and able to get an honest
living to themselves.
20. To this great duty of educating of children there is re-
quired as means, first, encouragement : se-
MEANS TO- condly, correction. Encouragement is first
WARDS THE ^^ ^^ ^^-^j . ^^^ should cndcavour to make
EDUCATION OF ^^iMren in love with duty, by offering them
CHILDREN. rewards and invitations, and whenever they
do well, take notice of it, and encourage them to go on. It
is an ill course some Parents hold, who think they must
never appear to their children but with a face of sourness
and austerity ; this seems to be that which St. Paul fore-
warns Parents of, when he bids fathers not io provoke their
children to wrath. Col. iii. 21. To be as harsh and unkind
to them when they do well, as if they do ill, is the way to pro-
voke them ; and then the Apostle tells us in the same verse
what M'ill be the issue of it, they will be discouraged, they
will have no heart to go on in any good course, when the
Parent affords them no countenance. The second means is
correction, and this becomes seasonable, when the former
will do no good, when all fair means, persuasions, and en-
couragements prevail not, then there is a necessity of using
sharper ; and let that be first tried in words, I mean not by
railing and foul language, but in sober, yet sharp reproof;
but if that fail too, then proceed to blows ; and in this case,
as Solomon says. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son,
Prov. xiii. 24. It is a cruel fondness, that to spare a few
stripes at present, will adventure him to those sad mischiefs,
which commonly befall the child that is left to himself. But
then this correction must be given in such a maimer, as may
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTV TO CHILDREN. 219
be likely to do good ; to which purpose it must first be given
timely ; the child must not be suffered to run on in any ill
till it hath got a habit and a stubbornness too. This is a
great eiTor in many Parents, they will let their children alone
for divers years, to do what they list, permit them to lie, to
steal, without ever so much as rebuking them, nay, perhaps
please themselves to see the witty shifts of the child, and
think it matters not what they do while they are little ; but
alas ! all that while the vice gets root, and that many times
so deep a one, that all they can do afterwards, whether by
w^ords or blows, can never pluck it up. Secondly, correc-
tion must be moderate, not exceeding the quality of the
fault, nor the tenderness of the child. Thirdly, it must not
be given in rage, if it be, it will not only be in danger of
being immoderate, but it will lose its effect upon the child,
who will think he is corrected not because he has done a
fault, but because his Parent is angry, and so will rather
blame the Parent than himself: whereas, on the contrary,
care should be taken to make the child as sensible of the
fault as of the smart, without which he will never be tho-
roughly amended.
21. Thirdly, after children are grown up, and are past the
age of education, there are yet other offices
for the Parent to perform to them ; the Pa-
rent is still to watch over them, in respect
of their souls, to observe how they prac-
THE PARENT TO
WATCH OVER
THEIR SOULS
EVEN WHEN
I
their education, and accordingly to exhort,
tise those precepts which are ffiven them in
r f & THEY ARE
, £ J . GROWN UP.
encourage, or reprove, as they tind occasion.
22. So also for their outward estate, they are to put them
into some course of living in the world ;
if God have blest the Parents with wealth, their sub-
accordina to what he hath he must distri- ^,^^^,,„^,
. 1 ? 1 •, 1 , • .1 . • SISTENCE,
bute to his children, remembering that since
he was the instrument of bringing them into the world, he is,
according to his ability, to provide for their comfortable
living in it ; they are, therefore, to be looked on as very un-
natural Parents who, so they may have enough to spend in
their own riots and excess, care not what becomes of their
children, never think of providing for them. Another fault,
is usual among Parents in this business ; they defer all the
provisions for them till themselves be dead ; heap up, per-
220 parents' DLTi.' TO CHILDREN. [sUNDAY XIV.
haps, great matters for them against that time, but in the
mean time afford them not sucli a competency, as may en-
able them to live in the world. There are several mischiefs
come from this ; First, it lessens the child's affection to his
Parents, nay, sometimes it proceeds so far, as to make him
wish his death : which, though it be such a fault as no
temptation can excuse in a child, yet it is also a great fault
in a Parent, to give that temptation. Secondly, it puts the
child upon shifts and tricks, many times dishonest ones, to
supply his necessities ; this is, I doubt not, a common effect
of it ; the hardness of Parents has often put men upon very
unlawful courses, which when they are once acquainted with,
perhaps they never leave, though the first occasion cease ;
and therefore. Parents ought to beware how they run them
upon those hazards. Besides, the Parent loses that contentment
which he might have in seeing his children live prosperously
and comfortably, which none but an arrant earth-worm would
exchange for the vain imaginary pleasure of having money
in his chest. But in his business of providing for children,
there is yet another thing to be heeded, and that is, that the
Parent get that wealth honestly which he makes their por-
tion, else it is very far from being a provision : there is such
a curse goes along with an ill-gotten estate, that he that
leaves such a one to his child, doth but cheat and deceive
him, makes him believe he has left him wealth, but has
withal put such a canker in the bowels of it, that is sure to
eat it out. This is so common an observation, that I need
say nothing to confirm the truth of it ; would God it were
as generally laid to heart as it seems to be generally taken
notice of: then surely Parents would not account it a rea-
sonable motive to unjust dealing, that they may thereby pro-
vide for their children, for this is not a way of providing for
them : nay, it is the way to spoil them of whatever they have
lawfully gathered for them ; the least mite of unlawful gain
being of the nature of leaven, which sours the whole lump,
bringing down curses upon all a man possesseth. Let all
Parents, therefore, satisfy themselves with such provisions
for their children as God shall enable them honestly to make,
assuring themselves, how little soever it be, it is a better por-
tion than the greatest wealth unjustly gotten ; according to
that of Solomon, Prov. xvi. 8, Better is a little with right-
eousness, than great revenue ivithout right.
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTY TO CHILDREN. 221
23. A fourth thing the Parent owes to the child is good
example, he is not only to set him rules
of virtue and godliness, but he must him- "^^ ^^^^ "^^^^
self give him a pattern in his own practice ; example.
we see the force of example is infinitely beyond that of pre-
cept, especially where the person is one to whom we bear a
reverence, or with whom we have a continual conversation ;
both which usually meet in a Parent. It is, therefore, a
most necessary care in all Parents to behave themselves so
before their children, that their example may be a means of
winning them to virtue. But alas ! this age affords little of
this care, nay, so far it is from it, that there are none more
frequently the instruments of corrupting children than their
own Parents. And, indeed, how can it be otherwise ? while
men give themselves liberty to all wickedness, it is not to be
hoped, but that the children which observe it will imitate it ;
the child that sees his father drunk, will surely think he may
be so too, as well as his father. So he that hears him swear
will do the like, and so for all other vices ; and if any Pa-
rent that is thus wicked himself should happen to have so
much more care of his child's soul than his own, as to for-
bid him the things which himself practises, or correct him
for the doing them ; it is certain the child will account this
a great injustice to his father, to punish him for that which
himself freely does, and so he is never likely to be wrought
upon by it. This consideration lays a most strict tie upon
all Parents to live Christianly, for otherwise they do not only
hazard their own souls, but those of their children also, and
as it were, purchase an estate of inheritance in hell.
24. A fifth duty of Parents is blessing their children ; the
way of doing that is double, first, by their
,1 1 1 -1 J J TO BLESS THEM.
prayer ; they are by daily and earnest
prayers to commend them to God's protection and blessing,
both for their spiritual and temporal estate ; and secondly,
by their piety ; they are to be such persons themselves as
that a blessing may descend from them upon their posterity.
This is often promised in Scripture to godly men, that their
seed shall be blessed. Thus in the second commandment
God promises to show 7nercy to the thousandth generation
of them that love him and keep his commandments. And
it is very observable in the Jews, that though they were a
stiflf-necked generation, and had very grievously provoked
God, yet the godliness of their fore-fathers, Abraham, Isaac,
19*
222 parents' duty to children, [sunday xiv.
and Jacob, did many limes move God to save them from
destruction ; on the other side, we see that even good men
have fared the worse for the iniquities of their fathers; thus
when Josiah had destroyed idolatry, restored God's service,
and done good beyond all the kings that were before him,
yet there was an old arrear of Manasseh his grandfather,
which all this piety of his would not blot out, but he resolves
to cast Judah also out of his sight, as you may read at large,
2 Kings xxiii. If, therefore, Parents have any bowels, any
kindness towards their children, any real desire of their
prosperity, let them take care by their own godly life to en-
tail a blessing upon them.
25. Sixthly, Parents must take heed, that they use their
power over their childi'en with equity and
moderation, not to oppress them with un-
UNREASONABLE , , A i * ■ .u ■
reasonable commands, only to exercise their
COMMANDS. *!, •, u * • 11 *v,- c • u*
own authority, but in ail things of weight
to consider the real good of their children, and to press them
to nothing which may not consist with that. This is a rule
whereof Parents may often have use, but in none greater
than in the business of marrying their children, wherein
many that otherwise are good Parents, have been to blame ;
when out of an eagerness of bestowing them wealthily, they
force them to marry utterly against their own inclinations,
which is a great tyranny, and that which frequendy betrays
them to a multitude of mischiefs, such as all the wealth in
the world cannot repair. There are two things which Pa-
rents ought especially to consider in the matching their chil-
dren : the first, how they may live Christianly : and to that
purpose to choose a virtuous and pious person to link them
with : the second is, how they ma^ live cheerfully and com-
fortably in the world ; and to that end, though a competency
of estate may be necessary to be regarded ; yet, surely,
abundance is no way requisite ; and, therefore, that should
not be too vehemently sought after : that which much more
tends to the happiness of that state, is the mutual kindness
and liking of the parties, without which marriage is of all
other the most uncomfortable condition ; and, therefore, no
Parent ought to thrust a child into it. I have now done with
the first sort of Relation, that of a Parent.
SUNDAY XV.
Of Duty to our Brethren, and Relations, Husband, Wife, Friends,
Masters. Servants.
The second sort of relation is that of a Brother : now
brotherhood may be twofold, either natural,
or spiritual ; the latter may in the largest ^^^^ '^^ ^^^"
extent contam under it all mankind, all that
partake of the same nature : but I shall not consider it so in
this place, having already mentioned those general duties
which belong to all as such. I now speak of that natural
brotherhood that is between those that are
the children of the same immediate parent ; '^ ural.
and the duty of these is to have united hearts and affections :
this nature points out to them, they partaking in a more espe-
cial manner of each other's substance ; and, therefore, ought
to have the greatest tenderness and kindness each to other ;
thus we see Abraham makes it an argument, why there
should be no contention between him and Lot, because they
were brethren, Gen. xiii. 8. And though by brethren there
is meant only cousins, yet that helps the more strongly to con-
clude, that this nearer relation is in reason to be a greater
bar to strife, as also that this kindness is in some degree to
be extended to all that have any nearness of blood to us.
2. This kindness and Love between Brethren and Sisters
ought to be very firmly (rrounded in their
V, ° , -f •* 1 * ^1, n u f 11 THE NECESSITY
hearts ; if it be not, they will be of all
,, • ^1 r J- • r OF LOVE AMONG
others m most danorer oi disasfreems; ; lor
the continual conversation that is among
them whilst they are at home in their father's house, will be
apt to administer some occasion of jar. Besides the equality
that is among them in respect of birth, often makes them
inclinable to envy each other, when one is in any respect
advanced above the other. Thus we see Joseph's brethren
envied him, because he had most of his father's love, and
Rachel envied her sister Leah, because she was fruitful ;
therefore, for the preventing of such temptations, let all v/ho
have brethren and sisters, possess their mind with a great
and real kindness to them, look on them as parts of them-
selves, and then they will never think fit either to quarrel
223
224 DUES TO BRETHREN. [sUNDAY XV.
with them, or to envy them any advantage, nay more than
one part of the body does another of the same body, but will
strive to advance and help forward the good of each other.
3 The second kind of Brotherhood is Spiritual ; that con-
tains all those who profess the same faith
SPIRITUAL BRO- ^-^j^ ^^ . ^^^ Qhurch, in our baptism, be-
TiiERiiooD. comes a mother to each baptized person ;
and then surely they that have the relation of children to her,
must have also the relation of brethren to each other : and
to this sort of brethren also we owe a great deal of tender-
ness and affection ; the spiritual bond of Religion should, of
all others, the most closely unite our hearts. This is the
Brotherhood which St. Peter exhorts us to love, 1 Pet. ii.
17. And to it we are in an especial manner bound to do all
good offices. jDo good, saith the apostle, to all, but espe-
cially to them that are of the household of Faith, Gal. vi.
10. Our compassions are to be most melting towards them
of all others, in all their needs : Christ tells us, that who-
soever gives but a cup of cold water to any in the name of
a disciple, shall not lose his reward, Matt. x. 42. From
whence we may assure ourselves that this peculiar love to
Christians as Christians, is very acceptable in his sight.
4. Several Duties there are required of us to these bre-
thren, one principal, is the holding Com-
ouR DUTY munion with them, and that first in Doc-
To HOLD ^^.^^ . ^^g ^^g constantly to continue in the
COMMUNION ^^^.^^ ^^^ profession of all those necessary
WITH THESE ij-^t^g^ ^y which we may be marked out as
BRETHREN. foiio^vers and disciples of Christ. This is
that faith which St. Jude speaks of, which was once delivered
to the saints, Jude iii ; by keeping whereof we continue
still united to this spiritual brotherhood, in respect of pro-
fession, which we must constantly do, what storms and per-
secutions soever attend it, according to the exhortation of the
apostle, Heb. x. 23, Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering. Secondly, we are also, as oppor-
tunity serves, to communicate with them in all holy offices ;
we must be diligent in frequenting the assemblies of the saints,
which is as it were the badge of our profession, and there-
fore he that willingly withdraws himself from these, gives
ground to suspect he will be apt to renounce the other also.
But these parts of Communion we find strictly maintained by
the first Christians, Acts ii. 42, They continued steadfastly
SUNDAY XV.] DUES TO BRETHREX. 225
in the apostles^ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking
of bread, and in prayers. They continued, and that stead-
fastly, they were not frightened from it by any persecutions,
though that were a time wherein they were tried with the
sharpest sufferings ; which may teach us that it is not the
danger that attends this duty can acquit us of it.
5. Secondly, we are to bear with the infirmities of our
Christian brethren, according to the advice
of St. Paul, Rom. xv. 1, We that are strong
ought to bear the infirmities of the iveak.
If one that holds all necessary Christian
truths happen yet to be in some error, v/e are not for this,
either to forsake his communion or despise his person. This
St. Paul teaches us in the case of that weak brother, who by
error made a causeless scruple about meats, Rom. xiv. where
he bids the stronger Christians, that is, those who being
better instructed, discerned him to be in an error, yet to receive
him nevertheless, and not to despise him ; as on the other
side, he bids that weak one not to judge the stronger. The
^esser difference in opinion must be borne with on both sides,
and must not in the least abate our brotherly charity towards
each other.
6. Thirdly, we are to endeavour the restoring of any fallen
brother, that is, to bring him to repentance ^^ restore
after he hath fallen into any sin. Thus „„„„ afte
St. Paul commands the Galatians, that they
should restore him that was overtaken in
a fault, considering themselves lest they were also tempted.
We are not to look on him as a castaway, to give him over
as utterly desperate, neither are we to triumph over him in
respect of our own innocence, like the proud pharisee over
the poor publican, Luke xviii. 11, but we are meekly to en-
deavour his recovery, remembering that our own frailty is
such, that we are not secure from the like falls.
7. Fourthly, we are to have a sympathy and fellow feel-
ing with these brethren, to be nearly touched
with whatsoever befalls them, either as they
. , , . . ^ '. . , ■' thize with
are considered in society or m single per-
sons. In society first, and so they make
up a church ; and that either the universal, which is made
up of all believers throughout the world, or any particular
church, which is made up of all the believers in that particu-
lar nation ; and whatever happens to either of these, either
223 wives' duty. [sunday xv.
the whole church m general, or any such single part of it,
especially that whereof ourselves are members, we are to be
much affected and moved with it, to rejoice in all the pros-
perities, and to mourn and bewail all the breaches and deso-
lations thereof, and daily and earnesdy to pray with David,
Psalm li. 18, O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build
thou the walls of Jerusaler^i ; and that especially when we
see her in distress and persecution. Whosoever is not thus
touched with the condition of the church, is not to be looked
on as a living member of it ; for, as in the natural body every
member is concerned in the prosperity of the whole, so cer-
tainly is it here. It was the observation of the Psalmist,
that God's servants think upon the stones of Sion, and pity
to see her in the dust, Psalm cii. 14 ; and surely all his
servants are still of the same temper, cannot look on the
ruins and desolations of the church without the greatest sor-
row and lamentation. Secondly, we are to have this fellow-
feeling with our brethren, considered as single persons ; we
are to account ourselves concerned in every particular
Christian, so as to partake with him in all his occasions
either of joy or sorrow. Thus the aposde exhorts, Rom.
xii. 15, Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that
weep : and again, 1 Cor. xii. under the simihtude of the
natural body he urges this duty, Whether one member suffer,
all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it. All these several effects of
love we owe to these spiritual brethren. And this love is
that which Christ hath made the badge of his disciples, John
xiii. 35, By this shall all men knoiv that ye are my disci-
ples, if ye have love one to another ; so that if we mean not
to cast off discipleship to Christ, we must not forsake this
love of the brethren.
8. The third relation is that between Husband and Wife.
This is yet much nearer than either of the
THE WIFE OWES ^^^^^^ . ^^ appg^^s by that text, Ephes. v.
TO the husband 3^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^^^ leave father and mother,
OBEDIENCE. ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ j^^^ ^^j^^ ^^^^ ^j^^y ^^^ ^j^^ij
be one flesh. Several duties there are owing from one of
these persons to the other : and first for the Wife, she owes
obedience. This is commanded by the aposde, Col. iii. 18,
Wives, submit yourselves to your oivn Husbands, as it is
Jit in the Lord. They are to render obedience to their Hus-
bands in the Lord, that is, in all lawful commands. For other-
SUNDAY XV.] wives' DUTY. 227
wise it is here, as in the case of all other superiors, God
must be obeyed rather than man, and the Wife must not,
upon her Husband's command, do any thing which is for-
bidden by God. But in all things which do not cross some
command of God's, this precept is of force, and will serve to
condemn the peevish stubbornness of many wives who re-
sist the lawful commands of their husband, only because they
are impatient of this duty of subjection, which God himself
requires of them. But it may here be asked, what if the
husband command something which, though it be not unlaw-
ful, is yet very inconvenient and imprudent, must the wife
submit to such a command ? To this I answer, that it will be
no disobedience in her, but duty, calmly and mildly to show
him the inconveniences thereof, and to persuade him to re-
tract that command; but in case she cannot win him to it by
fair entreaties, she must neither try sharp language, nor yet
finally refuse to obey, nothing but the unlawfulness of the
command being sufhcient warrant for that.
9. Secondly, The wife owes Fidelity to the husband, and
that of two sorts ; first, that of the bed, she
must keep herself pure and chaste from all fidelity.
strange embraces, and therefore must not so much as give an
ear to any that would allure her, but with the greatest abhor-
rence reject all motions of that sort, and never give any man
that has once made such a motion to her, the least opportunity
to make a second. Secondly, She owes him likewise Fi-
delity in the managing those worldly affairs he commits to
her, she must order them so, as may be most to her hus-
band's advantage ; and not by deceiving and cozening of
him employ his goods to such uses as he allows not of.
10. Thirdly, She owes him Love, and together with that
all friendliness and kindness of conversa-
tion: she is to endeavour to bring him as
much assistance, and comfort of life, as is possible, that so
she may answer that special end of the woman's creation,
the being a help to her husband, Gen. ii. 18, and this in all
conditions, whether health or sickness, wealth or poverty,
whatsoever estate God by his providence shall cast him into,
she must be as much of comfort and support to him, as she
can. To this all sullenness and harshness, all brawling and
unquietness is direcdy contrary, for that makes the wife the
burden and plague of the man, instead of a help and comfort.
And sure if it be a fault to behave one's self so to any per-
228 husbands' duty. [sunday xv.
son, as hath ah*eady been showed, how great must it be to
do so to him, to whom the greatest kindness and affection
is owing ?
11. Nor let such Wives think that any Faults, or provoca-
tions of the Husband, can justify their
THE FAULTS OF f.^^ardness ; for they will not, either in
THE husband ^^ ^ of religion or discretion. Not in
religion, for where God has absolutely com-
FROM these 1 j j ^ X t, 'A -4. • *
manded a duty to be paid, it is not any un-
worthiness of the person can excuse from
it ; nor in discretion, for the worse a Husband is, the more
need there is for the Wife to carry herself with that gentle-
ness and sweetness, that may be most likely to win him.
This is the advice St. Peter gave the wives of his time, 1
Pet. iii. 1, Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your
own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they may
without the word be won by the conversation of the ivives.
It seems the good behaviour of the wives was thought a
powerful means to win men from Heathenism to Christianity ;
and sure it might now-a-days have some good effects, if
women would have but the patience to try it : at the least, it
would have this, that it would keep some tolerable quiet in
families, whereas, on the other side, the ill fruits of the wives'
unquietness are so notorious, that there are few neighbour-
hoods but can give some instance of it. How many men
are there that, to avoid the noise of a fro ward wife, have
fallen to company-keeping, and by that to drunkenness,
poverty, and a multitude of mischiefs ? Let all wives there-
fore beware of administering that temptation. But whenever
there happens any thing, which, in kindness to her husband,
she is to admonish him of, let it be with that softness and
mildness, that it may appear it is love and not anger that
makes her speak.
12. There are also on the Husband's part several duties ;
there is first love, which St. Paul requires to
THE HUSBAND , ^ j l * 4 A
be very tender and compassionate towards
OWES TO THE ^, -i , ^^i • ■^^4 A U
the wile, as appears by the similitudes he
WIFE LOVE. ^1 • \i ^ ^^ ,, -r/ rr^^
useth in that matter, Ephes. v. 1 he one,
that of the love a man bears to his natural body. No man^
says he, ver. 29, ever hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth
it, and cherisheth if. The other love is that Christ bears
to his Church ; which is far greater, ver. 25, both which he
sets as patterns of this love of husbands towards their wives.
SUNDAY XV.] husbands' DUTY. 229
This utterly forbids all harshnesp and roughness to them ;
men are to use them as parts of themselves, to love them as
their own bodies ; and, therefore, to do nothing that may be
hurtful and grievous to them, no more than they would cut
and gash their own flesh. Let those husbands that tyrannize
over their wives, that scarce use them like human creatures,
consider whether that be to love them as their own bodies.
13. A second duty of the Husband is Faithfulness to the
bed. This is by God as well required of
the husband as the wife ; and though the faithfulness.
world do seem to look on the breach of this duty with less
abhorrence in the husband, yet sure before that just Judge,
the offence will appear no less on the man's side than the
woman's. This is certain, it is in both a breach of the vow
made to each other at their marriage, and so besides the un-
cleanness, a downright perjury, and those differences in the
case, which seem to cast the scale, or rather in respect of
civil and worldly consideration, than merely of the sin.
14. A third part of the Husband is to maintain and pro-
vide for the Wife. He is to let her partake
with him in those outward good things
wherewith God hath blest him, and neither by niggardliness
debar her of what is fit for her, nor yet by unthriftiness so
waste his goods, that he shall become unable to support her.
This is certainly the duty of the Husband, who being, as
hath been said, to account his wife as a part of his own body,
must have the very same care to sustain her, that he hath
for himself. Yet this is not so to be understood, as to ex-
cuse the wife from her part of labour and industry, when
that is requisite, it being unreasonable the husband should
toil to maintain the wife in idleness.
15. Fourthly, The husband is to account the wife in the
things whicti concern her eternal welfare,
•f u u • 4. c .V. a^u C!4^ T> 1 INSTRUCTION.
it she be ignorant oi them. Ihus St. raul
bids the wives learn of their husbands at home, 1 Cor.
xiv. 35, which supposes that the husband is to teach her.
Indeed it belongs to every master of a family to endeavour
that all under his charge be taught all necessary things of
this kind, and then sure more especially his wife, who is so
much nearer to him than all the rest. This should make
men careful to get knowledge themselves, that so they may
be able to perform this duty they owe to others.
20
230 husbands' duty. [sunday xv.
16. Lastly, Husbands aad Wives are mutually to pray for
each other, to beg all blessings from God
HUSBANDS AND ^^^^ spiritual and temporal, and to endea-
WIVES MUTU- ^^^^ ^1^ ^j^gy ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^Ij g^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^_
ALLY TO PRAY ^^j^^^^ especially all good to each other's
FOR, AND ASSIST ^^^^^^ ^^ stirring up to the performance of
EACH OTHER IN ^^ ^^^ dissuadiug and di-awing back
ALL GOOD. r ii • j u u • vi x i
from all sm, and by being like true yoke-
fellows, helpful and assistant to each other in the doing of all
sorts of good, both to their own family and all others within
their reach. This is of all other the truest and most valu-
able love. Nay, indeed, how can it be said they do love at
all, who contentedly let each other run on in a course that
will bring them to eternal misery ? And if the love of hus-
bands and wives were thus grounded in virtue and religion,
it would make their lives a kind of heaven on earth ; it would
prevent all those contentions and brawlings, so common among
them, which are the great plagues of families, and the lesser
hell in passage to the greater ; and truly where it is not thus
founded, there is little comfort to be expected in marriage.
17. It should, therefore, be the care of every one that
means to enter upon that state, to consider
advisedly beforehand, and to choose such a
THE PERSON ui. l, *ll i .x.-
person with whom they may have this spi-
THECHIEFCON- •, i r- • i v • ,i , • i , K
ritual friendship, that is, such a one as truly
fears God. There are many false ends of
MARRIAGE. • i i ;i • ^i. 1J
marriage looked upon in the world : some
marry for wealth, others for beauty, and generally they are
only worldly respects that are at all considered, but certainly
he that would marry as he ought, should contrive to make
his marriage useful to those better ends of serving God, and
saving his own soul ; at least he must be sure it be no hind-
rance to them, and to that purpose the virtue of the person
chosen is more conducing than all the wealth in the world,
though I deny not but that a competency of that may like-
wise be considered.
18. But above all things, let all take heed that they make
not such marriages as may not only be ill
UNLAWFUL • .1 • rr ^ u ^ . i • ^ xu
in their eilects, but are actual sins at the
time ; such are the marriages of those that
were formerly promised to some other, in which case it is
sure they righdy belong to those to whom they passed the
SUNDAY XV.] OF FRIENDSHIP. 231
first promise ; and then for any other to marry them during
the life of that person, is to take the husband or wife of that
other, which is direct adultery, as St. Paul tells us, Rom.
vii. 3. The like unlawfulness there is also in the marriao-e
of those who are within those degrees of kindred forbidden
by God, the particulars whereof are set down in the xviii. and
XX. of Levit. and whoever marries any that is within any
of those degrees of nearness, either to himself, or to his de-
ceased wife, which is as bad, commits that great sin of incest,
and so long as he continues to live with such his unlawful
wife, remains in that fearful guilt. This wariness in the
choice of the person to be married, would prevent many sad
effects, which we daily see follow such rash or unlawful
matches. It were well, therefore, if people would look on
marriage as our Church advises, as a thing not to be under-
taken lightly, unadvisedly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's
carnal lusts and appetites, hut reverently, discreetly, ad-
visedly, soberly, and in the fear of God ; and in so doing,
no doubt a blessing would follow, which otherwise there is
little ground to expect. I have now done with this relation
between husband and wife.
19. The next is that between Friends: and this relation
if it be rightly founded, it is of great near-
^ ^ c ^ u i 41, • friendship.
ness and usetulness ; but there is none more
generally mistaken in the world : men usually call them their
friends, with whom they have an intimacy and frequency of
conversation, though that intimacy be indeed nothing but an
agreement and combination in sin. The drunkard thinks
him his friend that will keep him company ; the deceitful
person, him that will aid him in his cheats ; the proud man,
him that will flatter him : and so generally in all vices, they
are looked on as friends that advance and further us in them.
But God knows this is far from friendship ; such a friend
as this, the devil himself is in the highest degree, who is
never backward in such ofP.ces. The true friendship is that
of a direct contrary making ; it is a concurrence and agree-
ment in virtue, not in vice : in short, a true friend loves his
friend so that he is very zealous of his good : and certainly
he that is really so will never be the instrument of bringing
him to the greatest evil. The general duty
of a friend then must be resolved to be the
industrious pursuit of his friend's real advantages, in which
there are several particulars contained.
232 OF FRIENDSHIP. [sUNDAY XV.
20. As first, Faithfulness in all trusts committed to him
by his friend, whether that of goods, or
FAITHFULNESS. ^^^^^^^ . j^g ^j^^^ betrays the trust of a friend
in either, is by all men looked upon with abhorrence, it being
one of the highest falsenesses and treacheries, and for such
treacherous wounds, the wise man tells us, Every friend
will depart, Ecclus. xxii. 22.
21. Secondly, it is the duty of a friend to be assisting to
his friend in all his outward needs ; to coun-
sel him when he wants advice ; to cheer
him when he needs comfort ; to give him when he wants
relief ; and to endeavour his rescue out of any trouble or
danger. An admirable example we have of this friendship
in Jonathan to David, he loved him as his own soul, and we
see he not only contrives for his safety when he was in dan-
ger, but runs hazards himself to rescue and deliver his friend,
draws his father's anger upon him, to turn it from David, as
you may read at large, I Sam. xx.
22. The third and highest duty of a friend is to be aiding
and assistinor to the soul of his friend, to
admonition. , , ^ J ^1, ^ • • . A '
endeavour to advance that m piety and vir-
tue, by all means within his power, by exhortations and en-
couragements to all virtue, by earnest and vehement dissuasions
from all sin, and not only thus in general, but by applying to
his particular wants, especially by plain and friendly reproofs,
where he knows or reasonably believes there is any fault
committed. This is of all others the most peculiar duty of
a friend, it being indeed that which none else is qualified for.
Such an unwillingness there is in most men to hear of
their faults, that those that undertake that work, had need
have a great prepossession of their hearts, to make them
patient of it. Nay, it is so generally acknowledged to be
the proper work of a friend, that if he omit it he betrays the
offender into security ; his not reproving will be apt to make
the other think he does nothing worthy of reproof, and so
he tacitly acts that basest part of a flatterer, soothes and che-
rishes him in his sin ; when yet farther it is considered how
great need all men have at sometime or other of being ad-
monished, it will appear a most unfriendly, yea, cruel thing
to omit it. We have that natural partiality to ourselves, that
we cannot so readily discern our own miscarriages, as we
do other men's and therefore it is very necessary they should
sometimes be showed us by those who see them more clearly ;
SUNDAY XV.] OF FRIENDSHIP. 233
and the doing this at the first may prevent the multiplying
of more ; whereas if we be suffered to go unreproved, it often
comes to such a habit, that reproofs will do no good. And
then how shall that person be able to answer it either to God
or himself, that has by his silence betrayed his friend to this
greatest mischief? It is the expression of God himself speak-
ing of a friend. Thy friend which is as thine own soul^
Deut. xiii. 6. And sure we should in this respect account
our friends as our own souls, by having the same jealous
tenderness and watchfulness over their souls, which we ought
to have of our own. It will therefore be very fit for all that
have entered any strict friendship, to make this one especial
article in the agreement, that they shall mutually admonish
and reprove each other ; by which means it will become such
an avowed part of their friendship, that it can never be mis-
taken by the reproved party for censoriousness or unkindness,
23. Fourthly, to these several parts of kindness must be
added that of Prayer ; we must not only
assist our friends, ourselves, in what we pRayer.
can, but we must call in the Almighty's aid to them, recom-
mending them earnestly to God for all his blessings, both
temporal and spiritual.
24. Lastly, We must be constant in our friendships, and
not out of a lightness of humour grow weary
of a friend, only because we have had him
Idlig. This is great injustice to him, who, if he have be-
haved himself well, ought the more to be valued, by how
much the longer he has continued to do so : and it is great
folly in ourselves, for it is the casting away the greatest
treasure of human life, for such certainly is a tried friend.
The wisest of men gives warning of it, Prov. xxvii. 10,
Thine own friend^ and thy father'' s friend, forsake not.
Nay, further, it is not every light offence of a friend that
should make thee renounce his friendship, there must be
some allowance made to the infirmities of men, and if thou
hast occasion to pardon him somewhat to-day, perhaps thou
mayest give him opportunity to requite thee to-morrow ;
therefore, nothing but unfaithfulness, or incorrigible vice
should break this band.
25. The last relation is that between
Masters and Servants, both of which owe ^^^^^ants owe
duty to each other. That of the servant is "^^ "^^^^^ ^^^'
first obedience to all lawful commands ; "^^^^ ^®^^^^^^*^'
20*
234 servants' duty. [sunday xv.
this is expressly required by the apostle, Epiies. vi. 5,
Servants, obey in all things your Masters, Sfc. And this
obedience must not be a grumbling and unwilling one, but
ready and cheerful, as he there proceeds to exhort, verse 7,
with good will doing service ; and to help them herein, they
are to consider, that it is to the Lord, and not unto men.
God has commanded Servants thus to obey their Masters ;
and therefore, the obedience they pay is to God, which may
well make them do it cheerfully, how harsh or unworthy
soever the Master be, especially if what the Apostle further
urgeth, verse 8, be considered, that there is a reward to be
expected from God for it.
26. The second duty of the servant is Faithfulness, and
that may be of two sorts ; one as opposed
to eye-service, the other to purloining or
defrauding. The first part of Faithfulness is the doing of
all true service to his Master, not only when his eye is over
him, and he expects punishment for the omission, but at all
times, even when his Master is not likely to discern his fail-
ing ; and that servant that doth not make conscience of this,
is far from being a faithful servant, this eye-service being by
the Apostle set opposite to that singleness of heart, which
he requires of servants, Eph. vi. 5. The second sort of
Faithfulness consists in the honest managery of all things
intrusted to him by his master, the not wasting his gopds
(as the unjust Steward was accused to have done, Luke xvi.)
whether by careless embezzling of them, or by converting
any of them to his own use without the allowance of his
Master. This latter is that purloining of which the Apostle
warns servants. Tit. ii. 10 ; and is indeed no better than
arrant theft : of this kind are all those ways that the servant
hath of gaining to himself, by the loss and damage of his
Master, as the being bribed to make ill bargains for him, and
many the like. Nay, indeed this sort of unfaithfulness is
worse than common theft, by how much there is a greater
trust reposed, the betraying whereof adds to the crime. As
for the other sort of unfaithfulness, that of wasting, though
without gain to themselves, it differs not much in effect from
this, the Master may lose as much by the one as the other,
and then what odds is it to him, whether he be robbed by
the covetousness or negligence of his servant ? And it is still
the same breach of trust with the former ; for every Master
is supposed to intrust his affairs as well to the care as the
SUNDAY XV.] masters' DUTY. 235
honesty of his servant : for it would be Uttle advantage to the
Master to be secured that his servant would not himself
cheat him, whilst in the mean time he would by his careless-
ness give opportunity to others to do it : therefore he that
doth not look to his Master's profit, deceives his trust, as
well as he that unjustly provides for his own.
27. A third duty of a servant, is patience and meekness,
under the reproofs of his Master, not an-
. .1, A xi 1, X SUBMISSION TO
swering again,, as the Apostle exhorts.
Tit. ii. 9, that is, not making such surly
and rude replies, as may increase the Master's displeasure,
a thing too frequent among servants, even in the justest repre-
hensions ; whereas Saint Peter directs them patiently to suffer
even the most undeserved correction, even when they do well
and suffer for it, 1 Pet. ii. 20. But the patient suffering of
rebuke is not all that is required of servants in this matter,
they must also mend the fault they are rebuked for, and not
think they have done enough, when they have (though never
so dutifully) given the Master the hearing.
28. A fourth duty of a servant is Diligence : he must con-
stantly attend to all those things, which are
.1 /^- ex.- 1 ^ I ■ u- DILIGENCE.
the duties of his place, and not give him-
self to idleness and sloth, nor yet lo company-keeping, gaming,
or any other disorderly course, which may take him off from
his Master's business. All these are necessary duties of a
servant, which they are carefully and conscionably to perform,
not so much to escape the Master's anger as God's who will
certainly call every one of them to an account, how they
have behaved themselves towards their earthly Masters.
29. Now on the other side there are some things also ow-
ing from the Masters to their servants : as
first, the Master is bound to be just to them,
r • .u Ai- \.- v! TO THEIR SER-
m performing those conditions on which
*i, u- ] u 1 ^1 VANTS JUSTICE.
they were hired ; such are commonly the
giving them food and wages, and that Master that withholds
these, is an oppressor.
30. Secondly, the Master is to admonish and reprove the
servant in case of fault, and that not only
in faults against them, wherein few masters
are backward ; but also and more especially in faults against
God, whereat every master ought to be more troubled than
at those which tend only to his own loss, or inconvenience ;
the dishonour of God, and the hazard of the meanest man's
236 masters' duty. [sunday xv.
soul, being infinitely more worthy our disquiet, than any
thing of the other kind can be. And therefore, when masters
are presently on fire for any little negligence or fault of a
servant towards themselves, and yet can, without trouble, see
them inin into the greatest sins against God, it is a sign they
consider their own concernments too much, and God's glory
and their servants' souls too little. This is too commonly
the temper of masters, they are generally careless how their
servants behave themselves towards Gk)d, how disordered and
profane their families are, and therefore never bestow any
exhortation, or admonition, to persuade them to virtue, or
draw them from vice ; such masters forget that they must
one day give an account how they have governed their fami-
lies. It is certainly the duty of every Ruler to endeavour to
advance piety and godliness among all those that are under
his charge, and that as well in this lesser dominion of a fam-
ily, as in the greater of a realm or nation. Of this David was
so careful, that we see he professes Psalm ci. 7, That no de-
ceitful person should dwell in his house, that he that told
lies should not tarry in his sight ; so much he thought
himself bound to provide, that his family might be a kind of
church, an assembly of godly upright persons : and if all
masters would endeavour to have theirs so, they would besides
the eternal reward of it hereafter, find a present benefit by it,
their worldly business would thrive much the better ; for if
their servants were brought to make conscience of their
ways, they would then not dare either to be negligent or
false.
31. But as it is the duty of masters to admonish and re-
prove their servants, so they must also look to do it in a due
manner, that is, so as may be most likely to do good, not in
passion and rage, which can never work the servant to any
thing but the despising or hating him ; but with such sober
and grave speeches, as may convince him of his fault, and
may also assure him, that it is a kind desire of his amend-
ment (and not a willingness to wreak his own rage) which
makes the Master thus to rebuke him.
32. A third duty of the Master is to set good example of
honesty and godliness to his servants, with-
GOOD EXAMPLE. ^^^ ^^j^-^j^ -^ -^ ^^^ ^^j ^^^ exhortatious or
reproofs he can use will ever do good ; or else he pulls down
more with his example, than it is possible for him to build
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 237
with the other ; and it is madness for a drunken or profane
master to expect a sober and godly family.
33. Fourthly, the master is to provide that his servants
may not want means of being instructed in
their duty, as also that they may daily have ^^^^^ ^^ ^^'
constant times of worshipping God publicly, struction.
by having prayers in the family ; but of this I have spoken
before under the head of Prayer, and therefore shall here
say no more of it.
34. Fifthly, the master, in all affairs of his own, is to give
reasonable and moderate commands, not
laying greater burdens on his servants than ^o^^^ration m
they are able to bear, particularly not re- commands.
quiring so much work, that they shall have no time to bestow
t>n their souls ; as on the other side he is not to permit them
to live so idly as may make them either useless to him, or
may betray themselves to any ill.
35. Sixthly, the master is to give his servants encourage-
ment in well-doing, by using them with
tliat bounty and kindness which their faith- ^^^^ourage-
fulness, and diligence, and piety deserves ; ^^^"^ ^^ well-
and finally, in all his dealing with them, he doing.
is to Remember that himself hath, as the Apostle saith, Ephes.
vi. 9, a Master in heaven, to whom he must give an account
of the usage of his meanest servant on earth. Thus have I
briefly run through those several relations to which we owe
particular Duty, and so have done with that first branch of
Duty to our neighbours, that of Justice.
SUNDAY xvi.
Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour. Of Charity to Men's
Souls, Bodies, Goods, and Credit.
The second branch of our Duty to our Neighbours is
Charity, or Love. This is the great Gos-
pel-duty so often enjoined us by Christ; charity.
the new commandment, as himself calls it, John xiii.
34, tliat ye love one another, and this is again repeated
twice in one chapter, John xv. 12, 17, and the first episde
of St. John is almost wholly spent in the persuasion of this
238 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
one duty, by which we may see it is no matter of indiffer-
ence, but most strictly required of all that profess Christ.
Indeed himself has given it as the badge and livery of his
disciples, John xiii. 35, By this shall all men know ye are
my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
This Charity may be considered two ways ; first, in re-
spect of the Affections ; secondly, of the
Actions. Charity in the affections is a sin-
FECTIONS. 1 . J il- u J- X • T.
cere kmdness, which disposes us to wish
all good to others, and that in all their capacities, in the same
manner that justice obligeth us to wish no hurt to any man,
in respect either of his soul, his body, his goods, or his cre-
dit ; so this first part of Charity binds us to wish all good
to them in all these.
And first for the Soul. If we have any the least spark
, of Charity, we cannot but wish all good
TO MEN S • .
to men's souls ; those precious things which
Christ thought worth the ransoming with
his own blood, may surely well challenge our kindness and
good wishes ; and therefore, if we do not thus love one
another, we are far from obeying that command of loving as
he hath loved ; for it was the souls of men which he loved
so tenderly, and both did and suffered so much for. 0f this
love of his to Souls there are two great and special effects :
the first, the purifying them here by his grace ; the second,
the making them everlastingly happy in his glory ; and both
these we are so far to copy out in our kindness, as to be
earnestly desirous that all men should arrive to that purity
and holiness here, which may make them capable of eternal
happiness hereafter. It were to be hoped, that none, that
himself carried a Soul about him, could be so cruel to that
of another man's, as not sincerely to wish this, did not ex-
perience show us there are some persons, whose malice is
so devilish, as to reach even to the direct contrary ; the wish-
ing not only the sin, but the damnation of others. Thus
may you have some, who, in any injury or oppression they
suffer, make it their only comfort that their enemies will
damn themselves by it ; when alas ! that should to a Christ-
ian be much more terrible, than any suffering they could
bring upon him. He that is of this temper, is a disciple of
Satan, not of Christ, it being directly contrary to the whole
scope of that grand Christian precept, of loving our neigh-
hours as ourselves. For it is sure, no man that believes there
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 239
is such a thing as damnation, wishes it to himself; be he
never so fond of the ways that lead to it, yet he wishes that
may not be his journey's end ; and therefore, by that rule of
charity, should as much dread it for his neighbour.
Secondly, We are to wish all good to the bodies of men,
all health and welfare ; we are generally
tender enough of our own bodies, dread
the least pain or ill that can befall them : ^ ' '
Now Charity, by virtue of the foremen-
tioned precept, extends this tenderness to all others : and
whatever we apprehend as grievous to ourselves, we must
be unwilling should befall another. The like is to be said
of the other two, goods and credit, that as we wish our own
thriving and reputation, so we should likewise that of others,
or else we can never be said to love our neighbours as
ourselves.
This Charity of the affections, if it be sincere, will cer-
tainly have these several effects, which are
11 r * *u ^ *i, n EFFECTS OF THIS
SO inseparable Irom it, that they are otten
in Scripture accounted as parts of the duty,
and SO most strictly required of us ; First, it will keep the
mind in a peaceable and meek temper towards others, so far
from seeking occasion of contentions, that no provocation
shall draw us to it ; for where we have kindness we shall be
unapt to quarrel, it being one of the special qualities of
Charity, that it is not easily provoked^ 1 Cor. xiii. 5. And
therefore whoever is unpeaceable, shows his heart is destitute
of this Charity. Secondly, it will breed compassion towards
all the miseries of others ; every mishap that befalls where
we wish well, is a kind of defeat and disaster to ourselves ;
and therefore, if we wish well to all, we shall be thus con-
cerned in the calamities of all, have a real grief and sorrow
to see any in misery, and that according to the proportion
of the suffering. Thirdly, it will give us joy in the prosperi-
ties of others. Solomon observes. Pro v. xiii. 19, that the
desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; and then whoever
has this real desire of his neighbour's welfare, his desire is
accomplished in their prosperity, and therefore he cannot
but have contentment and satisfaction in it. Both these are
together commanded by St. Paul, Rom. xii. 12, Rejoice with
them that rejoice, weep with them that weep. Fourthly, it
will excite and stir up our prayers for others ; we are of
ourselves impotent, feeble creatures, unable to bestow bless-
240 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
ings where we most wish them ; therefore if we do indeed
desire the good of others, we must seek it on their behalf
from him, whence every good and perfect gift cometh,
James i. 17. This is so necessary a part of Charity, that
without it our kindness is but an insignificant thing, a kind
of empty compliment. For how can he be believed to wish
well in earnest, who will not thus put life and efficacy into
his wishes by forming them into prayers, which will other-
wise be vain and fruitless ? The Apostle thought not fit to
leave men to their bare wishes, but exhorts that supplications,
prayers, and giving of thanks be made for all men^ 1 Tim.
ii. 1, which precept all that have this true charity of the
heart, will readily conform to. These severals are so naturally
the fruits of this Charity, that it is a deceit for any man to
persuade himself he hath it, who cannot produce these fruits
to evidence it by.
But there is yet a further excellency of this grace ; it guards
the mind and secures it from several great
IT CASTS OUT 11 . V <. c T7
and dangerous vices ; as first trom Envy ;
this is by the aposde taught us to be the
property of Charity, 1 Cor. xiii. 4, Charity envieth not ;
and indeed common reason may confirm this to us, for envy
is a sorrow at the prosperity of another, and therefore must
needs be directly contrary to that desire of it which we
showed before was the effect of love ; so that if love bear
sway in the heart, it will certainly chase out envy. How
vainly then do those pretend to this virtue, that are still
grudging, and repining at every good hap of others !
Secondly, it keeps down pride and haughtiness. This is
also taught us by the Apostle in the fore-
mentioned place, charity vaimteth not it-
self, is not puffed up ; and accordingly we find, that where
this virtue of love is commanded, there humility is joined
with it. Thus it is. Col. iii. 13, Put on, therefore, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind: and Rom. xii. 10,
Be kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly
love, in honour preferring one another, where you see how
close an attendant humility is of love. Indeed it naturally
flows from it, for love always sets a price and value upon
the thing beloved, makes us esteem and prize it ; thus we too
constantly find it in self-love, it makes us think highly of
ourselves, that we are much more excellent than other men.
Now if love thus placed on ourselves beget pride, let us but
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 241
divert the course, and turn this love on our brethren, and it
will as surely beget humility, for then we should see and
value those gifts and excellencies of theirs, which now our
pride, or our hatred makes us to overlook and neglect, and
not think it reasonable either to despise them, or vaunt and
magnify ourselves upon such a comparison ; we should cer-
tainly find cause to put the apostle's exhortation in practice,
Phil. ii. 4, That we should esteem others better than our-
selves. Whoever, therefore, is of so haughty a temper, as
to villify and disdain others, may conclude, he hath not this
charity rooted in his heart.
Thirdly, it casts out censoriousness and rash judging.
Charity, as the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xiii. 5,
thinketh no evil: is not apt to entertain ill censorious-
conceits of others, but on the contrary, as ^ ^*
it follows, verse 7, believeth all things, hopeth all things ;
that is, it is forward to believe and hope the best of all men ;
and surely our own experience tells us the same, for where
we love we are usually unapt to discern faults, be they never
so gross (witness the great blindness we generally have to-
wards our own) and therefore shall certainly not be like to
create them, where they are not, or to aggravate them beyond
their true size and degree : and then to what shall we im-
pute those unmerciful censures and rash judgments of others,
so frequent among men, but to the want of this charity.
Fourthly, it casts out dissembling and feigned kindness ;
where this true and real love is, that false
and counterfeit one flies from before it, and
this is the love we are commanded to have, such as is with-
out dissimulation, Rom. xii. 9. Indeed, where this is rooted
in the heart, there can be no possible use of dissimulation ;
because this is in truth all that the false one would seem to
be, and so is as far beyond it as nature is beyond art ; nay
indeed as a divine virtue is beyond a foul sin ; for such is
that hypocritical kindness ; and yet it is to be feared, that
does too generally usurp the place of this real charity ; the
efi*ects of it are too visible among us, there being nothing more
common than to see men make large professions to those who,
as soon as their backs are turned, they either deride or mis^
chief.
Fifthly, it casts out all mercenariness, and self-seeking : it
is of so noble and generous a temper, that
• J • 11 • ^ • o • \ SELF-SEEKING.
It despises all projectmgs tor gam or advan-
21
242 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
tage : Love seeketh not her own, 1 Cor. xiii. 5. And there-
fore that huckstering kind of love so much used in the world,
which places itself only there, where it may fetch in benefit,
is very far from this charity.
Lastly, It turns out of the heart all malice and desire of
Revenge, which is so utterly contrary to it,
REVENGE. ^^^^ .^ .g ijnpossible they should both dwell
in the same breast ; it is the property of love to bear all
things, 1 Cor. xiii. 7 ; to endure the greatest injuries, with-
out thought of making any other return to them than prayers
and blessings, and therefore the malicious revengeful person
is of all others the greatest stranger to this charity.
It is true, if this virtue were to be exercised but towards
some sort of persons, it might consist with
malice to others, it being possible for a man
TO BE EXTENDED ^^^^ bitterly hates one to love another: but
we are to take notice that this Charity must
not be so confined, but must extend and
stretch itself to all men in the world, particularly to enemies,
or else it is not that divine charity commended to us by
Christ. The loving of friends and benefactors is so low a
pitch, that the very publicans and sinners, the worst of men,
were able to attain to it, Matt. v. 46. And therefore it is
not counted rewardable in a disciple of Christ ; no, he expects
we should soar higher, and therefore hath set us this more
spiritual and excellent precept of loving of enemies. Matt.
iv. 44, I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that
curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and
persecute you, and whosoever does not thus, will never be
owned by him for a disciple. We are therefore to conclude,
that all which hath been said concerning this charity of the
affections, must be understood to belong as well to our spite-
fullest enemy, as our most obliging friend ; but because this is
a duty to which the fro ward nature of man is apt to object
much, it will not be amiss to insist a litde on some considera-
tions which may enforce it on us.
And first, consider what hath been already touched on,
that it is the command of Christ, both in
the texts above mentioned, and multitudes
of others ; there being scarce any precept
so often repeated in the New Testament,
as this of loving and forgiving of our ene-
mies. Thus, Ephes. iv. 32, Be ye kind one to another.
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITi'. 243
tender-hearted, forgiving one another. And again, Col.
iii. 13, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ for-
gave you, so also do ye. So also, 1 Pet. iii. 9, Not render-
ing evil for evil, 7ior railing for railing, hut contrariwise
blessings. A whole volume of texts might be brought to
this purpose, but these are certainly enough to convince any
man, that this is strictly required of us by Christ, and indeed
I think, there are few that ever heard of the Gospel, but know
it is so. The more prodigiously strange is it, that men that
call themselves Christians, should give no degree of obe-
dience to it, nay, not only so, but even publicly avow, and pro-
fess the contrary, as we daily see they do, it being ordinary
to hear men resolve, and declare that they will not forgive
such or such a man, and no consideration of Christ's com-
mand can at all move them from their purpose. Certainly
these men understand not what is meant by the very word
Christian, which signifies a servant and disciple of Christ,
and this Charity is the very badge of the one, and lesson of
the other : and therefore it is the greatest absurdity and con-
tradiction, to profess themselves Christians, and yet at the
same time to resist this so express command of that Christ
whom they own as their master. If I be a master, saith God,
where is my fear? Mal. i. 6. Obedience and reverence
are so much the duties of servants, that no man is thought to
look on him as a master, to whom he pays them not. Why
tall ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say ? saith
Christ, Luke vi. 46. The whole world is divided into two
great families, Christ's and Satan's, and the obedience each
man pays, signifies to which of these masters he belongs ; if
he obey Christ, to Christ: if Satan, to Satan. Now this
sin of malice and revenge is so much the dictate of that
wicked spirit, that there is nothing can be a more direct obey-
ing of him : it is the taking his livery on our backs, the pro-
clamation whose servants we are. What ridiculous impu-
dence is it then, for men that have thus entered themselves
of Satan's family to pretend to be the servants of Christ !
Let such know assuredly, that they shall not be owned by
him, but at the great day of account, be turned over to their
proper master, to receive their wages in fire and brimstone.
A second consideration is the example of God ; this is an
argument Christ himself thought fit to use, to impress this
duty on us, as you may see, Luke vi. 35, 36. Where, after
244 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
having given the command of loving enemies, he encourages
to the practice of it, by telling, that it is that
EXAMPLE OF ^^j^.^j^ ^^-^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ children of the
GOD. Highest (that is, it will give us a likeness and
resemblance to him, as children have to their parents)/or he is
kind to the unthankful and the evil: and to the same purpose
you may read, Matt. v. 45, He maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust ; and sure this is a most forcible consideration
to excite us to this duty. God, we know, is the fountain
of perfection, and the being like to him, is the sum of all we
can wish for ; and though it was Lucifer's fall, his ambition
to be like the Most High, yet had the likeness he affected
been only that of holiness and goodness, he might still have
been an angel of light. This desire of imitating our Heavenly
Father is the especial mark of a child of his. Now this
kindness and goodness to enemies is most eminently re-
markable in God, and that not only in respect of the temporal
mercies, which he indifferently bestows on all, his sun and
rain on the unjust, as in the text forementioned, but chiefly
in his spiritual mercies. We are all by our wicked works,
Col. i. 21, enemies to him, s.nd the mischief of that enmity
would have fallen wholly upon ourselves : God had no mo-
tive besides that of his pity to us, to wish a reconciliation ;
yet so far was he from returning our enmity, when he might
have revenged himself to our eternal ruin, that he designs
and contrives how he may bring us to be at peace with him.
This is a huge degree of mercy and kindness, but the means
he used for effecting this is yet far beyond it, he sent his own
Son from heaven to work it, and that not only by persua-
sions, but sufferings also; so much did he prize us miserable
creatures, that he thought us not too dear bought with the
blood of his Son. The like example of mercy and patience
we have in Christ both laying down his life for us enemies,
and also in that meek manner of doing it, which we find ex-
cellently set forth by the Apostle, 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23, 24, and
commended to our imitation. Now surely when all this is
considered, we may well make St. John's inference; Be-
loved, if God so loved us, lue ought also to love one another,
1 John iv. 11. How shameful a thing is it for us to retain
displeasures against our brethren, when God thus lays by
his towards us, and that when we have so highly provoked
him !
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 245
This directs to a third consideration, the comparing our
sins against God, with the offences of our
brethren against us, which we no sooner dispro-
shall come to do, but there will appear a ^^^'^^^^ se-
vast difference between them, and that in ^^^
several respects : for first, there is the ma-
• ^ c .i: • i. 1, • AGAINST GOD,
jesty 01 the persons agamst whom we sm, ^ , '
which exceedingly increases the guilt, ^ men s
whereas between man and man, there can- ^^^^^^"^ ^^•
not be so great a distance ; for though some men are by God
advanced to such eminency of dignity as may make an in-
jury offered to them the greater, yet still they are but men of
the same nature with us, whereas he is God blessed for ever.
Secondly, there is his sovereignty and power, which is ori-
ginal in God, for we are his creatures, we have received our
whole being from him, and therefore are in the deepest man-
ner bound to perfect obedience, whereas all the sovereignty
that one man can possibly have over another, is but imparted
to them by God, and for the most part there is none of this
neither in the case, quarrels being most usual among equals.
Thirdly, there is his infinite bounty and goodness to us ; all
that ever we enjoy, whether in relation to this life or a better
being wholly his free gift, and so there is the foulest ingra-
titude added to our other crimes ; in which respect also it is
impossible for one man to offend against another in such a de-
gree, for though one may be (and too many are) guilty of
unthankfulness towards men, yet because the greatest benefits
that man can bestow are infinitely short of those which God
doth, the ingratitude cannot be near so great as towards God
it is. Lastly, there is the greatness and multitude of our sins
against God ; which do infinitely exceed all that the most
injurious man can do against us ; for we all sin much oftener
and more heinously against him, than any man, be he never
so malicious, can find opportunities of injuring his brethren.
This inequality and disproportion our Saviour intimates in
the parable. Matt, xviii. where our offences against God
are noted by the ten thousand talents, whereas our brethren's
against us are described by the hundred pence ; a talent
hugely outweighs a penny, and ten thousand out-numbers a
hundred, yet so and much more does the weight and number
of our sins exceed all the offences of others against us : much
more might be said to show the vast inequality between the
faults which God forgives us ; and those we can possibly
21*
246 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
have to fori^ive our brethren. But this I suppose may suffice
to silence all the objections of cruel and revengeful persons,
against this kindness to enemies. They are apt to look upon
it as an absurd and unreasonable thing ; but since God him-
self acts it in so much a higher degree, who can without
blasphemy say, it is unreasonable ? If this, or any other spi-
ritual duty appear so to us, we may learn the reason from the
apostle, 1 CoR. ii. 14, The carnal man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto
him; it is the carnality and fleshiness of our hearts that
makes it seem so, and therefore, instead of disputing against
the duty, let us purge our hearts of that, and then we shall
find that true which the spiritual wisdom affirms of her
doctrines, Prov. viii. 9, They are all plain to him, that
understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
Nay, this loving of enemies is not only a reasonable but a
pleasant duty, and that I suppose as a fourth
PLEASANTNESS ^ ■ . ^- \i, • . A ^ c
consideration ; there is a great deal oi sweet-
ness and delight to be found in it. Of this
I confess none can so well judge as those that have practised
it, the nature even of earthly pleasures being such, that it is
the enjoyment only that can make a man truly know them.
No man can so describe the taste of any delicious thing to
another, as that by it he shall know the relish of it ; he must
first actually taste of it ; and sure it is no more so in spiritual
pleasures ; and therefore he that would fully know the sweet-
ness and pleasantness of this duty, let him set to the practice,
and then his own experience will be the best informer. But
in the mean time, how very unjust, yea, and foolish is it, to
pronounce ill of it before trial ! For men to say, this is irk-
some and intolerable, who never so much as once offered to
try whether indeed it were so or no ! Yet by this very means
an ill opinion is brought up of this most delightful duty, and
passes current among men, whereas in all justice the testi-
mony of it should be taken only from those who have tried
it ; and they would certainly give another account of it.
But though the full knowledge hereof be to be had only
by this nearer acquaintance, yet methinks even those who
look at it but at a distance may discern somewhat of amiable-
ness in it, if no other way, yet at least by comparing it with
the uneasiness of its contrary. Malice and revenge are the
most restless, tormenting passions that can possess the mind
of a man, they keep men in perpetual study and care how
SUNDAY XVI.j DUTY OF CHARITY. 247
to effect their mischievous purposes, it disturbs their very
sleep, as Solomon observes, Pro v. iv. 16, They sleep not
except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken
away except they cause some to fall: yea, it imbitters all
the good things they enjoy, so that they have no taste or
relish of them. A remarkable example of this we have in
Haman, who thought he abounded in all the greatness and
felicity of the world, yet the malice he had to a poor despicable
man, Mordecai, kept him from tasting contentment in all this,
as you may see, Esther v. where after he had related to his
friends all his prosperities, verse 11, he concludes thus, verse
12, Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mor-
decai the Jew sitting in the king^s gate. On the other side,
the peaceable spirit, that can quiedy pass by all injuries and
affronts, enjoys a continual calm, and is above the malice of
his enemies : for let them do what they can, they cannot rob
him of his quiet, he is firm as a rock, which no storms or
winds can move, when the furious and revengeful man is like
a wave, which the least blast tosses and tumbles from its
place. But besides this inward disquiet of revengeful men,
they often bring many outward calamities upon themselves,
they exasperate their enemies, and provoke them to do them
greater mischiefs, nay, oftentimes they willingly run them-
selves upon the greatest miseries in pursuit of their revenge,
to which it is ordinary to see men sacrifice goods, ease, credit,
life, nay, soul itself, not caring what they suffer themselves,
so they may spite their enemy ; so strangely does this wretched
humour besot and blind them. On the contrary, the meek
person he often melts his adversary, pacifies his anger : ^
soft ansioer turneth away wrath, saith Solomon, Prov. xv.
1. And sure there is nothing can tend more to that end;
but if it do happen that his enemy be so inhuman, that he
miss of doing that, yet he is still a gainer by all he can suffer.
For first, he gains an opportunity of exercising that most
Christian grace of charity and forgiveness : and so at once of
obeying the command, and imitating the example of his
Saviour, which is to a true Christian spirit a most valuable
advantage ; and then, secondly, he gains an accession and
increase to his reward hereafter. And if it be objected, that
that is not to be reckoned in to the present pleasure of the
duty, I answer, that the expectation and belief of it is, and
that alone is a delight infinitely more ravishing than the
present enjoyment of all sensual pleasure can be.
248 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
The fourth consideration is, the dangers of not performing
this duty ; of which I might reckon up di-
IF WE FORGIVE ^^^^^ ^^^ j ^^^^^ .^^-g^ ^^j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^
NOT, GOD WILL ^^^^ ^^j^-^j^ contains in it all the rest, and
NOT FORGIVE US. ^^^^ -^ ^^^ forfeiting of our own pardons
from God, the having our sins against him kept still on his
score and not forgiven. This is a consideration that methinks
should affright us into good nature : if it do not, our malice
is greater to ourselves than to our enemies. For alas, what
hurt is it possible for to do to another which can bear any
comparison with that thou dost thyself, in losing the pardon
of thy sins ? which is so unspeakable a mischief, that the
devil himself with all his malice cannot wish a greater. It
is all he aims at, first, that we may sin, and then that those
sins may never be pardoned, for then he knows he has
us sure enough. Hell and damnation being certainly the
portion of every unpardoned sinner, besides all other
effects of God's wrath in this life. Consider this, and then
tell me what thou hast got by the highest revenge thou ever
actedst upon another. It is a devilish phrase in the mouth
of men, that revenge is sweet : but is it possible there can
be (even to the most distemperate palate) any such sweetness
in it, as may recompense that everlasting bitterness that at-
tends it ? It is certain no man in his wits can, upon sober
judging, imagine there is. But alas, we give not ourselves
time to weigh things, but suffer ourselves to be hurried away
with the heat of an angry humour, never considering how
dear we must pay for it : like the silly bee, that in anger
leaves at once her sting and her life behind her ; the sting
miy perhaps give some short pain to the flesh it sticks in,
but yet there is none but discerns the bee has the worst of
it, that pays her life for so poor a revenge : so it is in the greatest
act of our malice, we may perhaps leave our stings in others,
put them to some present trouble, but that compared with the
hurt redounds to ourselves by it, is no more than that incon-
siderable pain is to death : nay, not so much, because the
mischief that we bring upon ourselves are eternal, to which
no finite thing can bear any proportion. Remember then,
whensoever thou art contriving and plotting a revenge, that
thou quite mistakest the mark : thou thinkest to hit the enemy,
and, alas, thou woundest thyself to death. And let no man
speak peace to himself, or think that these are vain terrors,
and that he may obtain pardon from God, though he give
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 249
none to his brethren. For he that is truth itself has assured
us the contrary, Matt. vi. 15, If ye forgive not men their
trespasses^ neither will your Father forgive your tres-
passes. And lest we should forget the necessity of this duty,
he hath inserted it in our daily prayers, where we make it
the condition on which we beg pardon from God : Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us. What a heavy curse then does every revengeful person
lay upon himself, when he says this prayer ! He does in
effect beg God not to forgive him ; and it is too sure that part
of his prayer will be heard : he shall be forgiven just as he
forgives, that is, not at all. This is yet farther set out to us
in the parable of the Lord and the servant. Matt, xviii.
The servant had obtained of his Lord the forgiveness of a
vast debt, ten thousand talents, yet was so cruel to his
fellow-servant, as to exact a poor trifling sum of a hundred
pence, upon which his Lord recalls his former forgiveness,
and charges him again with the whole debt : and this Christ
applies to our present purpose, verse 35, So likewise shall
my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not every man his brother their trespasses. One
such act of uncharitableness is able to forfeit us the pardon
God hath granted us, and then all our sins return again upon
us, and sink us to utter ruin. I suppose it needless to heap
up more testimonials of Scripture for the truth of this ; these
are so clear, as may surely serve to pursuade any man, that
acknowledges Scripture, of the great and fearful danger of
this sin of uncharitableness. The Lord possess all our hearts
with such a just sense of it as may make us avoid it.
The last consideration I shall mention, is that of Gratitude.
God has showed wonderful mercies to us,
Christ has suffered heavy things to bring gratitude to
r^ on
us into a capacity of that mercy and pardon
from God : and shall we not then think ourselves obliged to
some returns of thankfulness ? If we will take the apostle's
judgment, he tells us, 2 Cor. v. 15, That since Christ died
for us all, it is but reasonable that we should not hence-
forth live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us.
Indeed were every moment of our life consecrated to his
immediate service, it were no more than common gratitude
requires, and far less than such inestimable benefits deserve ;
what a shameful unthankfulness is it then to deny him so
poor a satisfaction as this, the forgiving our brethren ! Suppose
250 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
a man that were ransomed either from death or slavery, by
the bounty and sufferings of another, should upon his release
be charged by him that so freed him, in return of that kind-
ness of his, to forgive some slight debt, w^hich was owing him
by some third person, would you not think him the unthank-
fullest wretch in the world, that should refuse this to so great
a benefactor ? Yet such a wretch, and much worse, is every
revengeful person : Christhath bought us outof eternal slavery,
and that not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, 1
Pet. i. 19, but with his own most precious blood, and hath
earnestly recommended to us the love of our brethren, and
that with the most moving arguments, drawn from the great-
ness of his love to us ; and if we shall obstinately refuse him
in so just, so moderate a demand, how unspeakable a vile-
ness is it ! And yet this we do downright, if we keep any
malice or grudge to any person whatsoever. Nay, farther,
this is not barely an unthankfulness, but there is also joined
with it a horrible contempt and despising of him. This
peace and unity of brethren was a thing so much prized and
valued by him, that when he was to leave the world he thought
it the most precious thing he could bequeath, and therefore
left it by way of legacy to his disciples, John xiv. 27, Peace
I leave vnth you. We use to set a great value on the slight-
est bequests of our dead friends, to be exceeding careful not
to lose them ; and therefore, if we wilfully bangle away this
so precious a legacy of Christ, it is a plain sign we want that
love and esteem of him, which we have of our earthly friends,
and that we despise him as well as his legacy. The great
prevailing of this sin of uncharitableness has made me stand
thus long on these considerations, for the subduing it. God
grant they may make such impression on the reader, as
7)%ay be available to that purpose I
I shall add only this one advice, that these, or whatsoever
other remedies against this sin, must be used timely : it is
ofttimes the frustrating of bodily medicines, the applying
them too late ; and it is much oftener so in spiritual ; there-
fore, if it be possible, let these and the like
considerations be so constantly and habit-
ING OF RANCOUR ,, r- ^ • *i. a, ^ ^\ \ ^\,
ually fixed in thy heart, that they may
frame it to such meekness, as may prevent
PRFSS£iD. ^\^ • • c • ,-\ c
all rismgs ot rancour or revenge in thee, tor
it is much better they should serve as armour to prevent,
than as balsam to cure the wound. But if this passion be
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 251
not yet so subdued in thee, but that there will be some
stirrings of it, yet then be sure to take it at the very first rise,
and let not thy fancy chew, as it were, upon the injury by
often rolling it in thy mind, but remember betimes the fore-
going considerations, and withal, that this is a time and season
of trial to thee, wherein thou mayest show thou hast profited
in Christ's school, there now being an opportunity offered
thee either of obeying and pleasing God, by passing by this
offence of thy brother, or else of obeying and pleasing Satan,
that lover of discord, by nourishing hatred against him.
Remember this, I say, betimes, before thou be inflamed, for
if this fire be thoroughly kindled, it will cast such a smoke
as will blind thy reason, and make thee unfit to judge even
in this so very plain a case. — Whether it be better, by obey-
ing God, to purchase to thyself eternal bliss, or by obeying
Satan, eternal torments. Whereas, if thou put the question
to thyself before this commotion and disturbance of mind, it
is impossible but thy understanding must pronounce for God ;
and then unless thou wilt be so perverse that thou wilt
deliberately choose death, thou wilt surely practise according
to that sentence of thy understanding. I shall add no more
on this first part of Charity, that of the Affections.
I proceed now to that of the Actions ; and this indeed is it,
whereby the former must be approved ; we
\ 1 4 u -.^ -X- u\ -C CHARITY IN THE
may pretend great charity withm, but it
ACTION*?
none break forth in the actions, we may
say of that love, as Saint James doth of the faith he speaks
of, that it is dead, James ii. 20. It is the loving in deed,
that must approve our hearts before God, 1 John iii. 18.
Now this love in the actions may likewise fitly be distributed,
as the former was, in relation to the four distinct capacities
of our brethren, their Souls, their Bodies, their Goods, and
Credit.
The Soul, I formerly told you, may be considered either
in a natural or Spiritual sense, and in both
of them Charity binds us to do all the good
we can. As the Soul signifies the mind ' ^^^
c X J xi, neighbour.
01 a man, so we are to endeavour the com-
fort and refreshment of our brethren, desire to give them all
true cause of joy and cheerfulness, especially when we see
any under any sadness or heaviness, then to bring out all the
cordials we can procure, that is, to labour by all Christian
and fit means to cheer the troubled spirits of our brethren, to
252 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
comfort them that are in any heaviness, as the Apostle
speaks, 2 Cor. i. 4.
But the Soul, in the spiritual sense, is yet of greater con-
cernment, and the securing of that is a
HIS SOUL. i^atter of much greater moment, than the
refreshing of the mind only, inasmuch as the eternal sorrows
and sadness of hell exceed the deepest sorrows of this life ;
and therefore, though we must not omit the former, yet on
this we are to employ our most zealous charities ; wherein
we are not to content ourselves with a bare wishing well to
the souls of our brethren : this alone is a sluggish sort of
kindness, unworthy of those who are to imitate the great
Redeemer of souls, who did and suffered so much in that pur-
chase. No, we must add also our endeavour to make them that
we wish them ; to this purpose it were very reasonable to
propound to ourselves in all our conversings with others,
that one great design of doing some good to their souls. If
this purpose were fixed in our minds, we should then discern
perhaps many opportunities, which now we overlook, of
doing something towards it. The brutish ignorance of one
would call upon thee to endeavour his instruction ; the open
sin of another, to reprehend and admonish him ; the faint and
weak virtue of another, to confirm and encourage him.
Every spiritual want of thy brother may give thee some oc-
casion of exercising some part of this Charity : or if thy cir-
cumstances be such, that upon sober judging, thou think it
vain to attempt any thing thyself, as if either thy meanness,
or thy unacquaintedness, or any the like impediment, be like
to render thy exhortations fruitless, yet if thou art industrious
in thy charity, thou mayest probably find out some other in-
strument, by whom to do it more successfully. There can-
not be a nobler study than how to benefit men's souls, and
therefore where the direct means are improper, it is fit we
should whet our wits for attaining of others. Indeed it is a
shame, we should not as industriously contrive for this great
spiritual concernment of others, as we do for every worldly
trifling interest of our own ; yet in them we are unwearied,
and try one means after another, till we compass our end.
But if after all our serious endeavours, the obstinacy of men
do not suffer us, or themselves rather, to reap any fruit from
them, if all our wooings and entreatings of men to have mercy
on their own souls will not work on them, yet be sure to
continue still to exhort by thy example. Let thy great care
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 253
and tenderness of thy own soul preach to them the value of
theirs, and give not over thy compassions to them, but with
the prophet, Jer. xiii. 17, Let thy soul iveep in secret for
them; and with the Psalmist, Let rivers of waters ritn doivn
thine eyes, because they keep not God's laiv, Psalm cxix.
136. Yea, with Christ himself, weep over them, tvha will
not know the things that belong to their peace, Luke xix.
42. And when no importunities with them will work, yet
even then cease not to importune God for them, that he will
draw them to himself. Thus we see Samuel, when he could
not dissuade the people from that sinful purpose they were
upon, yet he professes notwithstanding, that he will not cease
praying for them ; nay, he looked on it as so much a duty,
that it would be sin for him to omit it. God forgive, says
he, that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray
for you, 1 Sam. xii. 23. Nor shall we need to fear that
our prayers will be quite lost, for if they prevail not for those
for whom we pour them out, yet however they will return
into our own bosoms. Psalm xxxv. 13 ; we shall be sure not
to miss of the reward of that Charity.
In the second place, we are to exercise this active Charity
towards the bodies of our neighbours ; we
CHARITY IN RE"
are not only to compassionate their pains
, • -Uii*! i,^ SPECT OF THE
and miseries, but also to do what we can
for their ease and relief. The good Samari-
tan, Luke x. had never been proposed as our pattern, had
he not as well helped as pitied the wounded man. It is not
good wishes, no nor good words neither, that avail in such
cases, as Saint James tells us, If a brother or sister be naked,
and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them,
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding
ye give him not those things that are needful for the body,
what doth it profit? James ii. 15, 16. No, sure, it profits
them nothing in respect of their bodies, and it will profit thee
as little in respect of thy soul ; it will never be reckoned to
thee as a Charity. This relieving of the bodily wants of our
brethren, is a thing so strictly required of us, that we find it
set down. Matt, xxv., as the especial thing we shall be tried
by at the last day, on the omission whereof is grounded that
dreadful sentence, verse 41, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
And if it should now be asked what are the particular acts of
this kind which we are /o perform ? I think we cannot better
22
254 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI.
inform ourselves, for the frequent and ordinary ones, than
from this chapter, where are set down these severals : The
giving meat to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, har-
bouring the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the
sick and imprisoned ; by which visiting is meant not a bare
coming to see them, but so coming as to comfort and relieve
them ; for otherwise it will be but like the Levite in the gos-
pel, Luke x., who came and looked on the wounded m,an,
but did no more, which will never be accepted by God.
These are common and ordinary exercises of this charity, for
which we cannot want frequent opportunities. But besides
these there may sometimes, by God's especial providence,
fall into our hands occasions of doing other good offices to
the bodies of our neighbours ; we may sometimes find a
wounded man with the Samaritan, and then it is our duty to
do as he did ; we may sometimes find an innocent person
condemned to death, as Susanna was, and then are with
Daniel to use all possible endeavour for their deliverances.
This case Solomon seems to refer to, Prov. xxiv. W, If
thou forbear to deliver him. that is drawn unto death, and
them that are ready to be slain; if thou say est, Behold, we
knew it not ; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider ?
and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it ? Shall
not he render to every m,an according to his deeds ? We
are not lightly to put off the matter with vain excuses but to
remember that God, who knows our most secret thoughts,
will severely examine, whether we have willingly omitted the
performance of such a charity : sometimes again (nay, God
knows, often now-a-days) we may see a man that by a
course of intemperance is in danger to destroy his health, to
shorten his days, and then it is a due charity not only to the
soul, but to the body also, to endeavour to draw him from it.
It is impossible to set down all the possible acts of this cor-
poral charity, because there may sometimes happen such
opportunities as none can foresee ; we are therefore always
to carry about us a serious resolution of doing whatever good
of this kind we shall at any time discern occasion for, and
then whenever that occasion is offered, we are to look on it
as a call, as it were from Heaven, to put that resolution in
practice. This part of charity seems to be so much implanted
in our natures, as we are men, that we generally account
them not only unchristian, but inhuman, that are void of it ;
and therefore I hope there will not need much persuasion to
SUNDAY XVII ] OF ALMS-GIVING. 255
it, since our very nature inclines us : but certainly that very
consideration will serve hugely to increase the guilt of those
that are wanting in it ; for since this command is so agreeable
even to flesh and blood, our disobedience to it can proceed
from nothing but a stubbornness and resistance against God
who gives it.
SUNDAY XVII.
Of Charity, Alms-giving, &c. Of Charity in respect of our Neighbour's
Credit, &c. Of Peacemaking. Of going to Law. Of Charity to our
Enemies, &c.
The third way of expressing this Charity is towards the
Goods or Estate of our neio-hbour ; we are
1 I- n • • '^i -^ • CHARITY IN
to endeavour his thrivrnff and prosperity in
*l . 1 1 .-u- A , t^u 4. A RESPECT OF THE
these outward good things ; and to that end,
be willing to assist and further him in all
honest ways of improving or preserving them, by any neigh-
bourly and friendly office : opportunities of this do many
times fall out. A man may sometimes by his power or
persuasion deliver his neighbour's goods out of the hands of
a thief or oppressor ; sometimes again by his advice and
counsel, he may set him in a way of thriving, or turn him
from some ruinous course ; and many other occasions there
may be of doing good turns to another, without any loss or
damage to ourselves : and then we are to do ^^,„.„^^ _ ,„
.1 . • 1, • 1 u *l, TOWARDS THE
them, even to our rich neighbours, those
that are as wealthy (perhaps much more
so) as ourselves : for though Charity do not bind us to give
to those that want less than ourselves, yet whenever w^e can
further their profit without lessening our own store, it requires
it of us. Nay, if the damage be but light to us in comparison
of the advantage to him, it will become us rather to hazard
that light damage than lose him that greater advantage.
2. But towards our poor brother, Charity ties us to much
more; we are there only to consider the „^,„.„^^ ^„„
,' . ^ , . -^ J , , .• 1 .. TOWARDS THE
supplying of his wants, and not to stick at
parting with what is our own to relieve him,
but as far as we are able give freely what is necessary to
him. This duty of alms-giving is perfectly necessary for
256 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII.
the approving our love not only to men, but even to God him-
self, as St. John tells us, 1 John iii. 17, Whoso hath this
loorhVs goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shuttefh
up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the
love of God in him ? It is vain for him to pretend to love
either God or man, who loves his money so much better,
that he will see his poor brother (who is a man, and bears
the image of God) suffer all extremities, rather than part
with any thing to relieve him. On the other side, the per-
formance of this duty is highly acceptable with God as well
as with men.
3. It is called, Heb. xiii. 16, a sacrifice wherewith God
is well pleased ; and again, Phil. iv. 18, St Paul calls their
alms to him, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God ;
and the Church hath always looked on it as such, and there-
fore joined it with the solemnest part of worship, the holy
sacrament. But because even sacrifices themselves under the
law were often made unacceptable by being maimed, and ble-
mished, it will here be necessary to inquire what are the due
qualifications of this sacrifice.
4. Of these there are some that respect the motive, some
the manner of our giving. The motive may
MOTivLS OF ^^ threefold, respecting God, our neighbour,
ALMS-GIVING. ^,^^ oursclves. That which respects God
is obedience and thankfulness to him : he has commanded
we should give alms, and therefore one special end of our
doing so, must be the obeying that precept of his. And it
is from his bounty alone that we receive all our plenty, and
this is the properest way of expressing our thankfulness for
it, for, as the Psalmist saith, our goodness extendeth not unto
God, Psalm xvi. 2. That tribute which we desire to pay
out of our estates, we cannot pay to his person. It is the
poor that are, as it were, his proxy and receivers, and there-
fore whatever we should by way of thankfulness give back
again unto God, our alms is the way of doing it. Secondly,
in respect of our neighbour, the motive must be a true love
and compassion to him, a tender fellow-feeling of his wants,
and desire of his comfort and relief. Thirdly, in respect of
ourselves, the motive is to be the hope of that eternal reward
promised to this performance. This Christ points out to us,
when he bids us lay up our treasure in heaven, Matt. vi.
20 ; and to make us friends of the mammon of unrighteous-
ness, that they may receive us into everlasting habitations.
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVING 257
Luke xvi. 9 : that is, by a charitable dispensing of our tem-
poral goods to the poor, to lay np a stock in heaven, to gain
a title to those endless felicities which God hath promised
to the charitable. That is the harvest we must expect of
what we sow in these works of mercy, which will be so rich
as would abundantly recompense us, though we should, as
the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. xiii. 3, bestow all our goods to
feed the poor. But then we must be sure we make this our
sole aim, and not, instead of this, propose to ourselves the
praise of men, as the motive of our charity, that will rob us
of the other ; this is expressly told us by Christ, Matt. vi.
They that set their hearts on the credit they shall gain with
men, must take that as their portion, ver. 2, Verily I say
unto you^ they have their reward ; they choose, it seems,
rather to have men their paymasters than God, and to them
they are turned off; that little airy praise they get from them,
is all the reward they must expect : Ye have no reward of
iny Father which is in heaven, ver. 1. We have, therefore,
need to Avatch our hearts narrowly, that this desire of vain-
glory steal not it, and befool us into that miserable exchange
of a vain blast of men's breath for those substantial and eter-
nal joys of heaven.
5. In the second place, we must take care of our Alms-
givino-, in respect of the manner ; and in
♦T. + ^ 4. i. ■ 1 r n i\T MANNER OF
that, first, we must give cheeriully. Men
usually value a small thing that is given s-giving.
cheerfully, and with a good heart, more than a much greater,
that is wrung from a man with grudging and unwillingness ;
and God is of the same mind, he loves a
cheerful giver, 2 Cor. ix. 7, which the apos-
tle makes the reason of the foregoing exhortation, of not
giving grudgingly, or as of necessity, ver. 6. And sure
it is no unreasonable thing, that is herein required of us,
there being no duty that has to human nature more of plea-
sure and delight, unless it be where covetousness or cruelty
have quite worked out the man, and put a ravenous beast
in his stead. Is it not a most ravishing pleasure to him that
hath any bowels, to see the joy that a seasonable alms brings
to a poor wretch? How it revives and puts new spirits in
him that was even sinking 1 Certainly the most sensual crea-
ture alive knows not how to bestow his money on any thing
that shall bring him in so great a delight, and therefore me-
thinks it should be no hard matter to give not only without
22*
258 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII.
grud<ring, but even with a great deal of alacrity and cheer-
fulness, it being the fetching in of pleasure to ourselves.
6. There is but one objection can be made against this,
and that is, that the danger of impoverish-
THE FEAR OF .^^ ^^^^,^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ givcs, may take
IMPOVERISHING ^^ ^^^^^ pleasure, and make men either not
OURSELVES BY ^-^^ ^^ .^j^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ checrfully. To this
IT, VAIN AND J. answer: That first, were this hazard
never so apparent, yet it being the command
of God that we shall thus give, we are yet to obey cheerfully,
and be as well content to part with our goods in pursuance
of this duty, as we are many times called to do upon some
other. In which case Christ tells us, He that forsakes not
all that he hath cannot be his disciple.
7. But secondly, this is sure a vain supposition, God hav-
ing particularly promised the contrary to the charitable ; that
it shall bring blessings on them, even in these outward things.
The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth
shall be watered also himself Prov. xi. 25. He that giveth
to the poor shall not lack, Prov. xxviii. 27. And many the
like texts there are, so that one may truly say, this objection
is grounded in direct unbelief. The short of it is, we dare
not trust God for this. Giving to the poor is directly the
putting our wealth into his hands ; He that giveth to the
poor lendeth unto the Lord, Prov. xix. 17, and that too on
solemn promise of repayment, as it follows in that verse,
That which he hath given ivill he pay him again. It is
amongst men thought a great disparagement, when we refuse
to trust them ; it shows we either think them not sufficient
or not honest. How vile an aff'ront is it then to God thus to
distrust him ! Nay, indeed, how horrid blasphemy, to doubt
the security of that for which he has thus expressly passed
his word, who is Lord of all, and therefore cannot be in-
sufficient, and who is the God of truth, and therefore will
not fail to make good his promise ! Let not then that infidel
fear of future want, contract and shut up thy bowels from
thy poor brother ; for though he be never likely to pay thee,
yet God becomes his surety, and enters bond with him, and
will most assuredly pay thee with increase. Therefore it is
so far from being damage to thee thus to give, that it is thy
great advantage. Any man would rather choose to put his
money in some sure hand, where he may both improve, and
be certain of it at his need, than to let it lie unprofitable by
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVIiNJ. 259
him, especially if he be in clangers of thieves or other acci-
dents by which he may probably lose it. Now, alas, all that
we possess is in minutely danger of losing; innumerable
accidents there are, which may in an instant bring a rich man
to beggary ; he that doubts this, let him but read the story of
Job, and he will there find an example of it. And therefore
what so prudent course can we take for our wealth as to put
it out of the reach of those accidents, by thus lending it to
God, where we may be sure to find it ready at our greatest
need, and that too with improvement and increase ? In which
respect it is that the apostle compares alms to seed, 2 Cor.
ix. 10. We know it is the nature of seed that is sown to
multiply and increase, and so do all our acts of mercy, they
return not single and naked to us, but bring in their sheaves
with them, a most plenteous and bountiful harvest. God
deals not with our alms as we too often do with his graces,
wrap them up in a napkin, so that they shall never bring in
any advantage to us, but makes us most rich returns : and
therefore we have all reason most cheerfully, yea, joyfully
to set to this duty, which we have such invitations to, as well
in respect of our own interests as our neighbour's needs.
8. Secondly, We must give seasonably : it is true indeed
there are some so poor, that an alms can
^11, 1 GIVE SEASON-
never come unseasonably, because they
always want, yet even to them there may
be some special seasons of doing it to their greater advantage ;
for sometimes an alms may not only deliver a poor man
from some present extremity, but, by the right timing of it,
may set him in some way of a more comfortable subsistence
afterward. And for the most, I presume it is a good rule, to
dispense what we intend to any, as soon as may be, for delays
are hurtful oftentimes both to them and ourselves ; first, as to
them, it is sure the longer we delay, the longer they groan
under the present want ; and after we have designed them a
relief, it is in some degree a cruelty to defer bestowing of it,
for so long we prolong their sufferings. You will think him
a hard-hearted physician, that having a certain cure for a man
in pain, should, when he might presently apply it, make un-
necessary delays, and so keep the poor man still in torture ;
and the same it is here ; we want of the due compassion, if
we can be content our poor brother should have one hour of
unnecessary suffering, when we have present opportunity of
relieving him ; or if he be not in such an extremity of want,
260 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII.
yet whatever we intend him for his greater comfort, he loses
so much of it as the time of the delay amounts to. Secondly,
in respect of ourselves, it is ill to defer ; for thereby we give
advantage to the temptations either of Satan or our own
covetous humour to dissuade us from it. Thus it fares too
often with many Christian duties : for want of a speedy
execution, our purposes cool, and never come to act; so
many resolve they will repent, but because they set not
immediately upon it, one delay succeeds another, and keeps
them from ever doing it at all ; and so it is very apt to fall
out in this case, especially with men who are of a covetous
temper, and therefore they of all others should not trust
themselves thus to delay.
9. Thirdly, We should take care to give prudently, that
is, to give most where it is most needed,
PRUDENTLY. ^^^^ -^^ ^^^-^ ^ manner as may do the re-
ceiver most good. Charities do often miscarry for want of
this care, for if we give at all adventures to all that seem to
want, we may sometimes give more to those whose sloth
and lewdness is the cause of their want, than to those who
best deserve it, and so both encourage the one in their idleness,
and disable ourselves from giving to the other. Yet I doubt
not such may be the present wants even of the most unwor-
thy, that we are to relieve them ; but where no such pressing
need is, we shall do best to choose out the fitter objects of
charity, such as are those who either are not able to labour,
or else have a greater charge than their labour can maintain,
and to those our alms should be given also in such a manner
as may be most likely to do them good : the manner of
which may differ according to the circumstances of their con-
dition ; it may to some be best, perhaps, to give them by little
and little ; to others the giving it all at once may tend more
to their benefit ; and sometimes a seasonable loan may do as
well as a gift, and that may be in the power sometimes of
those who are able to give but little : but when we thus lend
on charity, we must lend freely without use, and also with a
purpose that if he should prove unable to pay, we will for-
give so much of the principal as his needs require and our
abilities will permit. They want much of this charity who
clap up poor debtors in prison, when they know they have
nothing to answer the debt, which is a great cruelty, to make
another miserable when nothing is gained to ourselves by it.
10. Fourthly, We should give liberally, we must not be
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVING. 261
Strait-handed in our alms, and give by such pitiful scantlings
as will bring almost no relief to the receiver, for that is a kind
of mockery ; it is as if one should pretend to feed one that is
almost famished, by giving him a crumb of bread ; such doles
as that would be most ridiculous, yet I fear it is too near the
proportion of some men's alms ; such men are below those
disciples we read of, who knew only the baptism of John,
for it is to be observed, that John Baptist, who was but the
forerunner of Christ, makes it a special part of his doctrine,
that he that hath two coats should impart to him that hath
none, Luke iii. 11. He says not, he that hath some great
wardrobe, but even he that hath but two coats must part with
one of them ; from whence we may gather, that whatsoever
is above (not our vanity, but) our needs should thus be dis-
posed of when our brethren's necessity requires it. But if
we look into the first time of the Gospel, we shall find Chris-
tianity far exceeded this proportion of John's ; the converts
assigned not a part only, but frankly gave all to the use of
the brethren, Acts iv. And though that being upon an ex-
traordinary occasion, will be no measure of our constant
practice, yet it may show us how prime and fundamental a
part of Christianity this of charity is, that at the very first
founding of the church such vast degrees of it were practised ;
and if we farther consider what precepts of love are given us
in the Gospel, even to the laying down our lives for the brC'
thren, 1 John iii. 16, we cannot imagine our goods are in
God's account so much more precious than our lives, that he
would command us to be prodigal of the one, and yet allow
us to be sparing of the other.
11. A multitude of arguments might be brought to recom-
mend this bounty to all that profess Christ ; I shall mention
only two, which I find used by St. Paul to the Corinthians
on this occasion. The first is the example of Christ, 2 Cor.
viii. 9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christy
tvho though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor,
that ye through his j^overty might be rich. Christ emptied
himself of all that glory and greatness he enjoyed in Heaven
with his Father, and submitted himself to a life of much
meanness and poverty, only to enrich us. And therefore,
for shame, let us not grudge to empty our coffers, to lessen
somewhat of our heaps, to relieve his poor members. The
second, is the expectation of reward, which will be more or
less, according to the degrees of our alms, 2 Cor. ix. 6, He
262 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII.
that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he that
soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. We think him
a very improvident husbandman that, to save a Uttle seed at
present, sows so thin as to spoil his crop ; and the same folly
it will be in us, if by the sparingness of our alms we make
ourselves a lank harvest hereafter, lose either all or a great
part of those rewards which God hath provided for the liberal
alms-giver. What is the proportion which may be called a
liberal giving, I shall not undertake to set down, there being
degrees even in liberality ; one may give liberally, and yet
another give more liberally than he ; besides, liberality is to
be measured, not so much by what is given as by the ability
of the giver. A man of a mean estate may give less than one
of a great, and yet be the more liberal person, because that
little may be more out of his than the greater is out of the
other's. Thus we see Christ pronounces the poor widow to
have given much more to the treasury than all the rich
men, Luke xxi. 3 ; not that her two mites were more than
their rich gifts, but that it was more for her, she having left
nothing behind, whereas they gave out of their abundance
what they might easily spare. Every man must herein
judge for himself; we see the Apostle, though he earnestly
press the Corinthians to bounty, yet prescribes not to them
how much they shall give, but leaves that to their own breasts,
2 Cor. ix. 7, Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him. give. But let us still remember that the
more we give (provided we do not thereby fail in the support
of those that most immediately depend on us), the more
acceptable it will be to God, and the more rewardable by
him. And to secure the performance of the duty of alms-
giving (whatever the proportion be), we may do very well to
follow the advice St. Paul gives the Corinthians in this mat-
ter, 1 Cor. xvi. 2, Upon the first day of the iveek let every
one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him.
If men will do thus, lay by somewhat weekly, in store for
this work of charily, it were the surest way not to be un-
provided of somewhat to give when an occasion offered itself,
and by giving so by little and little the expense would be-
come less sensible, and so be a means to prevent those
grudgings and repinings, which are apt to attend men in
greater disbursements ; and sure this were in other respects
also a very proper course, for when a tradesman casts up
his weekly account and sees what his gains have been, it is
SUNDAY XVII.] or CHARITY. 263
of all others the most seasonable time to offer this tribute to
God out of what he hath by his blessing gained. If any will
say they cannot so well weekly reckon their gains, as by longer
spaces of time, I shall not contend with them for that precise
time, let it be done monthly or quarterly, so it be done. But
that somewhat should still be laid by in bank for these uses,
rather than left loose to our sudden charities, is sure very
expedient ; and I doubt not, whoever will make trial of it,
will upon experience acknowledge it to be so.
12. The fourth exercise of our Charity is towards the
Credit of our neighbour ; and of this we
may have many occasions ; sometimes to-
wards the innocent, and sometimes also
towards the guilty. If one whom we know
to be an innocent person be slandered and traduced. Charity
binds us to do what we may for the declaring his innocency,
and delivering him from that false imputation, and that not
only by witnessing when we are called to it, but by a volun-
tary offering our testimony on his behalf; or if the accusation
be not before a court of justice, and so there be no place for
that our more solemn testimony, but that it be only a slander
tossed from one to another, yet even there we are to do what
we can to clear him, by taking all occasions publicly to de-
clare what we know of his innocency. But even to the
guilty there is some Charity of this kind to be performed,
sometimes by concealing the fault, if it be such that no other
part of Charity to others make it necessary to discover it, or
it be not so notorious as that it will be sure to betray itself.
The wounds of reputation are of all others the most incur-
able, and therefore it may well become Christian Charity to
prevent them, even where they have been deserved : and
perhaps such a tenderness in hiding the fault may sooner
bring the offender to repentance, if it be seconded (as it ought
to be) with all e irnestness of private admonition : but if the
fault be such that it be not to be concealed, yet still there
may be place for this Charity in extenuating and lessening
it as far as the circumstances will bear : as if it were done
suddenly and rashly. Charity will allow some abatement of
the censure, which would belong to a designed and deliber-
ate act ; and so proportionably in other circumstances. But
the most frequent exercises of this charity happen towards
those of whose either innocency or guilt we have no know-
ledge, but are by some doubtful actions brought under suspi-
264 OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVII.
cion : and here we must remember, that it is the property of
love not to think evil, to judge the best ; and therefore we
are both to abstain from uncharitable conclusions of them
ourselves, and as much as lies in us to keep others from
them also, and so endeavour to preserve the credit of our
neighbour ; which is oftentimes as much shaken by unjust
suspicions, as it would be by the truest accusations. To
these cases, I suppose belongs that precept of Christ, Matt.
vii. 1, Judge not ; and when we consider how that is backed
in the following words, that ye be not judgediWe shall have
cause to believe it no such light matter as the world seems
to account it ; our merciful judging of others will be paid
home to us, in the strict and severe judgment of God.
13. I have now gone through this Active Charity as it
relates to the four several capacities of our
brethren, many of the particulars whereof
' were before briefly mentioned when we
SOME RESPECTS , r t .• re ^i • i -i. •
spake ot Justice. It any thmk it unproper
ACTS OF JUS" ■J r r
that the same Acts should be made part of
Justice and Charity too, I shall desire them
to consider that Charity being by Christ's command become
a debt to our brethren, all the parts of it may in that respect
be ranked under the head of Justice, since it is sure paying
of debts is a part of that : yet because in our common use we
do distinguish between the offices of Justice and Charity, I
have chosen to enlarge on them in particular reference to
Charity. But I desire it may still be remembered that what-
soever is under precept, is so much a due from us, that we
sin not only against Charity, but Justice too if we neglect
it ; which deserves to be considered the more to stir up our
care to the performance, and the rather because there seems
to be a common error in this point. Men look upon their
Acts of mercy as things purely voluntary, that they have no
obligation to ; and the effect of it is this, that they are apt to
think very highly of themselves when they have performed
any, though never so mean, but never blame themselves,
though they omit all : which is a very dangerous, but withal
a very natural fruit of the former persuasions. If there be
any Charities wherein Justice is not concerned, they are
those which for the height and degrees of them are not made
matter of strict duty, that is, are not in those degrees com-
manded by God : and even after these, it will be very reason-
able for us to labour ; but that cannot be done without taking
SUNDAY XVII.] OF PEACE-MAKIXG. 265
the lower and necessary degrees in our way ; and therefore
let our first care be for them.
14. To help us wherein there will be no better means than
to keep before our eyes that ffrand rule of
r • AT • tz, 7 THE GREAT
Loving our Neighbours as ourselves:
this the Apostle makes the sum of our
whole duty to our neighbours, Rom. xiii. 9.
Let this therefore be the standard whereby to measure all
thy actions which relate to others : whenever any necessity
of thy neighbours presents itself to thee, ask thyself whether,
if thou wert in the like case, thy love to thyself would not
make thee industrious for relief, and then resolve thy love to
thy neighbour must have the same effect with him. This
is that royal law, as St. James calls it, James ii. 8, which
all that profess themselves subjects to Christ must be ruled
by ; and whosoever is so will not fail of performing all chari-
ties to others, because it is sure he would upon the like oc-
casions have all such performed to himself. There is none
but wishes to have his good name defended, his poverty re-
lieved, his bodily suffering succoured ; only it may be said
that in the spiritual wants there are some so careless of them-
selves that they wish no supply, they desire no reproofs, no
instructions, nay, are angry when they are given them ; it
may therefore seem that such men are not by virtue of this
rule tied to those sorts of Charities. To this I answer, That
the love of ourselves, which is here set as the measure of
that to our neighbour, is to be understood to be that reason-
able love which men ought to have, and therefore, though a
man fail of that due love he owes himself, yet his neighbour
hath not thereby forfeited his right ; he has still a claim to
such a degree of our love, as is answerable to that which in
right we should bear to ourselves, and such, I am sure, is
this care of our spiritual estate, and therefore it is not our
despising our own souls that will absolve us from Charity
to other men's : yet I shall not much press this duty in such
men, it being neither likely that they will be persuaded to it,
or do any good by it ; their ill example will overwhelm all
their good exhortations, and make them unfruitful.
15. There is yet one Act of Charity behind, which does
not properly fall under any one of the for- pe^ce-making.
mer heads, and yet may relate to them all,
and that is the making peace and amity among others : by
doing whereof we may much benefit both the souls, bodies,
23
266 OF PEACE-MAKING. [sUNDAY XVH.
goods, and credit of our brethren ; for all these are in danger
by strife and contention. The reconciling of enemies is a
most blessed work, and brings a blessing on the actors ; we
have Christ's word for it, Blessed are the peace-makers,
Matt. v. 9 ; and therefore we may be encouraged diligently
to lay hold of all opportunities of doing this office of Charity,
to use all our art and endeavour to take up all grudges and
quarrels we discern among others ; neither must we only
labour to restore peace where it is lost, but to preserve it
where it is : First, generally, by striving to beget in the
hearts of all we converse with a true value of that most pre-
cious jewel. Peace ; Secondly, particularly, by a timely pre-
vention of those jars and unkindnesses we see likely to fall
out. It may many times be in the power of a discreet
friend or neighbour to cure those mistakes and misapprehen-
sions, which are the first beginnings of quarrels and conten-
tions ; and it will be both more easy and more profitable thus
to prevent than pacify strifes. It is sure it is more easy, for
when a quarrel is once broken out, it is like a violent flame
which cannot so soon be quenched as it might have been
whilst it was but a smothering fire. And then it is also more
profitable, for it prevents many sins, which in the progress
of an open contention are almost sure to be committed. Solo-
mon says. In the multitude of ivords there wanteth not
sin, Pro v. x. 19, which cannot more truly be said of any
sorts of words than those that pass in anger, and then, though
the quarrel be afterwards composed, yet those sins will still
remain on their account ; and therefore it is a great Charity
to prevent them.
16. But to fit a man for this so excellent an office of Peace-
making, it is necessary that he be first re-
HE THAT UN- , P, , i , / ,n r -.u i ^
markably peaceable himself ; tor with what
face canst thou persuade others to that
MUST BE PEACE- ,. , ,, -u ^ . c ^u M"} n
which thou wilt not periorm thyseli ? Or
ABLE HIMSELF. , ^ ^, x xu •
how canst thou expect thy persuasions
should work ? It will be a ready reply in every man's mouth,
Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own
eye. Matt. vii. 5 ; and therefore be sure thou qualify thy-
self for the work. There is one point of peaceableness which
seems to be little regarded among men, and
that is in the case of Legal trespasses ;
men think it nothing to go to law about
SUNDAY XVII.] OF CHARITY TO ENEMIES. 267
every petty trifle, and as long as they have but law on their
side never think they are to blame : but sure, had we that true
peaceableness of spirit which we ought, we should be un-
willing for such slight matters to trouble and disquiet our
neighbours. Not that all going to law is utterly unchristian,
but such kind of suits especially, as are upon contentiousness
and stoutness of humour to defend such an inconsiderable
right, as the parting with will do us little or no harm, or,
which is yet worse, to avenge such a trespass. And even in
great matters, he shall part with somewhat of his right for
love of peace, does surely the most christianly, and most
agreeably to the advice of the Apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 7, Rather
to take ivrong, and suffer ourselves to be defrauded. But
if the damage be so unsupportable that it is necessary for us
to go to law, yet even then we must take care of preserving
peace ; first, by carrying still a friendly and Christian tem-
per towards the party, not suffering our hearts to be at all
estranged from him; secondly, by being willing to yield to
any reasonable terms of agreement whenever they shall be
offered ; and truly if we carry not this temper of mind in our
suits, I see not how they can be reconcileable with that peace-
ableness so strictly required of all Christians. Let those con-
sider this who make it their pleasure themselves to disquiet
their neighbour, or their trade to stir up others to do it.
This tender regard of peace both in ourselves and others, is
absolutely necessary to be entertained of all those who own
themselves to be the servants of him, whose title it is to be
the Prince of Peace, Isa. ix. 6.
17. All that remains to be touched on concerning this
Charity of the Actions is the extent of it,
u- T, i u 1 *!, f c THIS CHARITY
which must be as large as the former of
.n ^ ,. * xT, X 1 • • .OF THE ACTIONS
the afteciions, even to the takmff in, not
1 * J\ ^x. c 1 ^- X MUST REACH TO
only strangers, and those ot no relation to
us, but even of our bitterest enemies. I
have already spoken so much of the obligation we are under
to forgive them, that I shall not here say any thing of that,
but that being supposed a duty, it will sure then appear no
unreasonable thing to proceed one step further, by doing
them good turns ; for when we have once forgiven them, we
can then no longer account them enemies, and so it will be
no hard matter even to flesh and blood to do all kind things
to them. And indeed this is the way by which we must try
268 OF SELF-LOVE. [sUNDAY XVII.
the sincerity of our forgiveness. It is easy to say, I forgive
such a man ; but if when an opportunity of doing him good
is offered, thou decUnest it, it is apparent there yet lurks the
old malice in thy heart : where there is a thorough forgiveness,
there will be as great a readiness to benefit an enemy as a
friend ; nay, perhaps in some respects a greater, a true chari-
table person looking upon it as an especial prize, when he has
an opportunity of evidencing the truth of his reconciliation,
and obeying the precept of his Saviour, by doing good to
them that hate him, Matt. v. 44. Let us therefore resolve
that all actions of kindness are to be performed to our enemies,
for which we have not only the command, but also the ex-
ample of Christ, who had not only some inward relentings
towards us his obstinate and most provoking enemies, but
showed it in acts, and those no cheap or easy ones, but
such as cost him his dearest blood. And surely we can
never pretend to be either obeyers of his command, or follow-
ers of his example, if we grudge to testify our loves to our
enemies by those so much cheaper ways of feeding them, in
hunger, and the like, recommended to us by the Apostle,
Rom. xii. 20. But if we could perform these acts of kind-
ness to enemies in such manner as might draw them from
their enmity, and win them to peace, the Charity would be
doubled ; and this we should aim at, for that we see the
Apostle sets as the end of the forementioned acts of feeding,
&;c. that we may heap coals of fire on their heads, not coals
to burn, but to melt them into all love and tenderness towards
us ; and this were indeed the most complete way of imitating
Christ's example, who in all he did and suffered for us, de-
signed the reconciling of us to himself.
18. I have now showed you the several parts of our duty
to our neighbour, towards the performance
SELF-LOVE A , r t i ^r,-
whereof 1 know nothmff more necessary
HINDRANCE TO , ^, ^ . ^ r u ^ ^u ^ ir
than the turnmg out oi our hearts that self-
love which so often possesses them ; and that
so wholly, that it leaves no room for Charity, nay, nor Jus-
tice neither to our neighbour. By this self-love I mean not
that true love of ourselves, which is the love and care of our
souls (for that would certainly help, not hinder us in this
duty), but I mean that immoderate love of our own worldly
interests and advantages, which is apparently the root of all
both injustice and uncharitableness towards others. "We
SUNDAY XVII.] OF TURNING TO GOD. 269
find this sin of self-love set by the Apostle in the head of a
whole troop of sins, 2 Tim. iii. 2, as if it were some princi-
pal officer in Satan's camp ; and certainly not without rea-
son, for it never goes without an accursed train of many
other sins, which like the dragon's tail, Rev. xii. 4, sweeps
away all care of duty to others. We are by it made so
vehement and intent upon the pleasing ourselves, that we have
no regard to any body else contrary to the direction of St.
Paul, RoM. XV. 2, which is not to please ourselves, but every
man to please his neighbour for his good to edification ;
which he backs with the example of Christ, ver. 3, For even
Christ pleased not himself. If, therefore, we have any sin-
cere desire to have this virtue of Charity rooted in our hearts,
we must be careful to weed out this sin of self-love, for
it is impossible they can prosper together.
19. But when we have removed this hindrance we must
remember that this, as all other graces, pro- prayer a
ceeds not from ourselves, it is the gift of „^,^,„ ^^ „„^
^ , 1 ,1 r ^ .1 MEANS TO PRO-
God ; and, therefore, we must earnestly cure it
pray to him to work it in us, to send his
Holy Spirit, which once appeared in the form of a Dove, a
meek and gall-less creature, to frame our hearts to the same
temper, and enable us rightly to perform this duty.
20. I HAVE now passed through those several branches I
at first proposed and showed you what is christian
our Duty to God, Ourselves, and our Neigh- ^^^^^^ ^^^^
hour: Of which I may say as it is, Luke ^^^^ .^^^
«o AT17.. 7 lA 7 J* T K J possible AND
X. 28, This do, and thou shall live. And pleasant
surely it is no impossible task to perform
this in such a measure as God will graciously accept, that
is, in sincerity, though not in perfection, for God is not that
austere master, Luke xix. 22, that reaps tvhere he has not
sowed ; he requires nothing of us, which he is not ready by
his grace to enable us to perform, if we be not wanting to
ourselves, either in asking it by prayer, or in using it by
diligence. And as it is not impossible, so neither is it such
a sad melancholy task as men are apt to think it. It is a spe-
cial policy of Satan's to do as the spies did. Numb. xiii. 32,
bring up an ill report upon this good land, this state of
Christian life, thereby to discourage us from entering into it,
to fright us with I know not what giants we shall meet with;
23*
270 OF TURNING TO GOD. [sUNDAY XVII.
but let us not thus be cheated, let us but take the courage to
try, and we shall indeed find it a Canaan, a land flowing
with milk and honey. God is not in this respect to his
people a wilderness,, a land of darkness, Jer. ii. 31. His
service does not bereave men of any true joy, but helps them
to a great deal: Christ's yoke is an easy, nay, a pleasant
yoke, his burden a light, yea, a gracious burden. There is
in the practice of Christian duties a great deal of pleasant
pleasure, and if we feel it not, it is because of the resistance
our vicious and sinful customs make, which by the conten-
tion raises an uneasiness. But then first, that is to be charged
only on ourselves, for having got those ill customs, and
thereby made that hard to us, which in itself is most plea-
sant, the duties are not to be accused for it. And then, se-
condly, even there the pleasure of subduing those ill habits,
overcoming those corrupt customs, is such, as hugely out-
weigheth all the trouble of the combat.
21. But it will perhaps be said that some parts of piety
are of such a nature as will be very apt to
EVEN WHEN . ,• , ^c ■ ■
expose us to persecutions and sufierings in
TIIEY EXPOSE us ., ^ , i f ., , ., • "^ i ^
the world, and that those are not loyous but
TO OUTWARD • ^ •'
ffrievous.
SUFFERINGS. ^ y ^, ^ • ^x. ^i. •
1 answer, that even in those there is
matter of joy. We see the Apostles thought it so ; They
rejoiced that they were coimted ivorthy to suffer for Christ's
name, Acts v. 41 ; and St. Peter tells us, that (f any suffer
as a Christian, he is to glorify God for it, 1 Pet. iv. 16.
There is such a force and virtue in the testimony of a good
conscience, as is able to change the greatest suffering into
the greatest triumph, and that testimony we can never have
more clear and lively than when we suffer for righteousness'
sake; so that you see Christianity is very amiable even in
its saddest dress ; the inward comforts of it do far surpass
all the outward tribulations that attend it, and that even in
the instant, while we are in the state of warfare upon earth.
But then if we look forward to the crown of our victories,
those eternal rewards in heaven, we can never think those
tasks sad, though we had nothing at present to sweeten them,
that have such recompenses await them at the end ; were
our labours never so heavy, we could have no cause to faint
under them. Let us, therefore, whenever we meet with any
discouragement in our course, fix our eye on this rich prize,
SUNDAY XVII.] OF TURNING TO GOD. 271
and then run with patience the race which is set before us,
Heb. xii. 1. Follow the Captain of our salvation through
the greatest sufferings, yea, even through the same red sea
of blood which he hath waded, whenever our obedience to
]iim shall require it; for though our fidelity to him should
bring us to death itself, we are sure to be no losers by it, for
to such he hath promised a crown of life, the very expecta-
tion whereof is able to keep a Christian more cheerful in his
fetters and dungeon, than a worldling can be in the midst of
his greatest prosperities.
22. All that remains for me farther to add, is earnesdy to
entreat and beseech the reader, that with-
out delay, he put himself into this so plea-
A • c ^ u **• • OF DELAYING
sant and ffamtul a course, by settmg sm-
1 * B *• f 11 *V. 4^- OUR TURNING
cerely to the practice oi all those things,
TT) POT)
which either by this book, or by any other
means, he descerns to be his duty ; and the further he hath
formerly gone out of his way, the more haste it concerns
him to make to get into it, and to use the more diligence in
walking in it. He that hath a long journey to go, and finds
he hath lost a great part of his day in a wrong way, will not
need much entreaty either to turn into the right, or to quicken
his pace in it. And this is the case of all those that have
lived in any course of sin ; they are in a wrong road, which
will never bring them to the place they aim at, nay, which
will certainly bring them to the place they most fear and
abhor. Much of their day is spent, how much will be left
to finish their journey in, none knows ; perhaps the next hour,
the next minute, the night of death may overtake them :
what a madness is it then for them to defer one moment to
turn out of that path which leads to certain destruction, and
to put themselves in that which will bring them to bliss and
glory ! Yet so are men bewitched and enchanted with the
deceitfulness of sin, that no entreaty, no persuasion can pre-
vail with them, to make this so reasonable, no necessary a
change; not but that they acknowledge it needful to be done,
but they are unwilling to do it yet ; they would enjoy all the
pleasures of sin as long as they live, and then they hope at
their death, or some little time before it, to do all the business
of their souls. But, alas ! Heaven is too high to be thus
jumped into ; the way to it is a long and leisurely ascent,
which requires time to walk. The hazards of such deferring
272 OF TURNING TO GOD [sUNDAY XVII.
are more largely spoken of in the Discourse of Repentance :
I shall not here repeat them, but desire the reader seriously
to lay them to heart, and then surely he will think it season-
able counsel that is given by the wise man, Ecclus. v. 7,
Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from
day to day.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS
FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS,
©rbinarji anh €xtraorbinarn.
PEIVATE DEVOTIONS
FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS,
©rbinarg anb (^%ixaoxbinat^.
Christian Reader :
I HAVE, for the help of thy Devotions, set down some Forms of Pri-
vate Prayer, upon several occasions : if it be thought an omission that
there are none for Families, I must answer for myself that it was not
from any opinion, that God is not as well to be worshipped in the family
as the closet; but because the Providence of God and the Church
hath already furnished thee, for that purpose, infinitely beyond what
my utmost care could do: I mean the Public Liturgy or Common
Prayer, which for all pubhc addresses to God (and such are family
prayers) are so excellent and useful, that we may say of it as David did
of Goliah's sword, 1 Sam. xxi. 9, There is none like it.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE MORNING.
,^s soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, lift up thy
heart to God in this or the like short Prayer.
Lord, as thou hast awakened my body from sleep, so by
thy grace awaken my soul from sin ; and make me so to
walk before thee this day, and all the rest of my life, that
when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave, I
may rise to the life immortal, through Jesus Christ.
When thou hast thus begun, suffer not (without some urgent neces-
sity) any worldly thoughts to fill thy mind, till thou hast also paid thy
more solemn devotions to Almighty God; and, therefore, during the
time thou art dressing thyself (which should be no longer than common
decency requires), exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts : as for
example, consider to what temptations thy business or company that day
275
276 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
are most like to lay thee open, and arm thyself with resolutions against
them ; or again, consider what occasions of doing service to God, or
good to thy neighbour, are that day most Hkely to present themselves,
and resolve to embrace them ; and also contrive how thou mayest im-
prove them to the uttermost. But especially it will be fit for thee to ex-
amme whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last night's
examination. If after these considerations any further leisure remain,
thou mayest profitably employ it in meditating on the general Resurrec-
tion (whereof our rising from our beds is a representation), and of that
dreadful Judgment which shall follow it, and then think with thyself in
what preparation thou art for it, and resolve to husband carefiilly every
minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account. As
soon as thou art ready, retire to some private place, and there offer up to
God thy morning sacrifice of praise and Prayer.
PRAYERS FOR THE MORNING.
At thy first kneeling down say,
O HOLY, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons and
one God, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner.
Lord, I know not what to pray for as I ought, O let thy
Spirit help my infirmities, and enable me to ofTer up a spirit-
ual sacrifice, acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ.
A Thanksgiving.
O GRACIOUS Lord, whose mercies endure for ever, I thy
unworthy servant, who have so deeply tasted of them, de-
sire to render thee the tribute of my humblest praises for
them. In thee, O Lord, I live, and move, and have my be-
ing : thou first madest me to be, and then, that I might not
be miserable but happy, thou sentest thy Son out of thy
bosom to redeem me from the power of my sins by his grace,
and from the punishment of them by his blood, and by
both to bring me to his glory. Thou hast by thy mercy
caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold, the Christian
Church, where I was early consecrated to thee in baptism,
and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which
might aid me to perform that vow I there made to thee ;
and when by my own wilfulness or negligence I have failed
to do it, yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken
me, but hast graciously invited me to repentance, afforded
me all means both outward and inward for it, and with much
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 277
patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those
many damning sins I have committed, as I have most justly
deserved. It is, O Lord, thy restraining grace alone by
which I have been kept back from any the greatest sins ; and
it is thy inciting and assisting grace alone, by which I have
been enabled to do any the least good ; therefore not unto
me, not unto me, but unto thy name be the praises. For
these and all other thy spiritual blessings, my soul doth mag-
nify the Lord, and all that is within me praise his holy name.
I likewise praise thee for those many outward blessings I
enjoy, as health, friends, food and raiment, the comforts as
well as the necessaries of this life, for those continual pro-
tections of thy hand, by which I and mine are kept from
dangers, and those gracious deliverances thou hast often
afforded out of such as have befallen me, and for that mercy
of thine whereby thou hast sweetened and allayed those
troubles thou hast not seen fit wholly to remove : for thy
particular preservation of me this night, and all other thy
goodness towards me. Lord, grant that I may render thee
not only the fruit of my lips, but the obedience of my life,
that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those
richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee,
and that for his sake, whom thou hast made the Author of
eternal salvation to all that obey him, even Jesus Christ.
A Confession.
O RIGHTEOUS Lord, who hatest iniquity, I thy sinful crea-
ture cast myself at thy feet, acknowledging that I most
justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee :
for I have drunk iniquity like water, gone on in a continued
course of sin and rebellion against thee, daily committing
those things thou forbidest, and leaving undone those things
thou commandest ; mine heart, which should be an habita-
tion for thy Spirit, is become a cage of unclean birds, of foul
and disordered affections ; and out of this abundance of the
heart my mouth speaketh, my hands act, so that in thoughts,
word, and deed, I continually transgress against thee. \_Here
mention the greatest of thy sins.^ Nay, O Lord, I have
despised that goodness of thine which should lead me to
repentance, hardening my heart against all tJiose means thou
hast used for my amendment. And now. Lord, what can 1
expect from thee but judgment and fiery indignation, that is
indeed the due reward of my sins ? But, 0 Lord, there is
24
278 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared. O fit me for
that mercy, by giving me a deep and hearty repentance, and
then, according to thy goodness, let thine anger and thy wrath
be turned away from me ; look upon me in thy Son, my
blesssed Saviour, and for the merit of his sufferings pardon
all my sins. And, Lord, I beseech thee, by the power of
thy grace so to renew and purify my heart, that I may be-
come a new creature, utterly forsaking every evil way, and
living in constant, sincere, universal obedience to thee all the
rest of my days, that, behaving myself as a good and faith-
ful servant, I may by thy mercy at the last be received into
the joy of my Lord. Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake.
A Prayer for Grace.
O MOST gracious God, from whom every good and perfect
gift cometh, I wretched creature that am not able of myself
so much as to think a good thought, beseech thee to work
in me both to will and do according to thy good pleasure.
Enlighten my mind that I may know thee, and let me not be
barren or unfruitful in that knowledge. Lord, work in my
heart a true faith, a purifying hope, and an unfeigned love
towards thee ; give me a full trust on thee, zeal for thee,
reverence of all things that relate to thee ; make me fearful
to offend thee, thankful for thy mercies, humble under thy
corrections, devout in thy service, sorrowful for my sins ; and
grant that in all things I may behave myself so as befits a
creature to his Creator, a servant to his Lord ; enable me
likewise to perform that duty I owe to myself ; give me that
meekness, humility, and contentedness, whereby I may always
possess my soul in patience and thankfulness ; make me dili-
gent in all my duties, watchful against all temptations, per-
fectly pure and temperate, and so moderate in my most law-
ful enjoyments, that they may never become a snare to me :
make me also, O Lord, to be so affected towards my neigh-
bour, that I may never transgress that royal law of thine, of
loving him as myself; gram me exactly to perform all parts
of justice, yielding to all whatsoever by any kind of right
becomes their due, and give me such bowels of mercy and
compassion that I may never fail to do all acts of charity to
all men, whether friends or enemies, according to thy com-
mand and example. Finally, I beseech thee, O Lord, to
sanctify me throughout, that my whole spirit, and soul, and
body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 279
Lord Jesus Christ ; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost
be all honour and glory for ever. Amen.
Intercession.
O BLESSED Lord, whose mercy is over all thy works, I
beseech thee to have mercy upon all men, and grant that the
precious ransom which was paid by thy Son for all may be
effectual to the saving of all. Give thy enlightening grace
to those that are in darkness, and thy converting grace to
those that are in sin ; look with thy tenderest compassions
upon the universal church. O be favourable and gracious
unto Sion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem : unite all those
that profess thy name to thee, by purity and holiness ; and
to each other by brotherly love. Have mercy on this desolate
church and sinful nation : thou hast moved the land and di-
vided it ; heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh it ; make us so
truly to repent of those sins which have provoked thy judg-
ments, that thou mayest turn and repent, and leave a blessing
behind thee. Bless those whom thou hast appointed our
governors, whether in church or state : so rule their hearts
and strengthen their hands, that they may neither want will
nor power to punish wickedness and vice, and to maintain
God's true religion and virtue. Have pity, O Lord, on all
that are in affliction ; be a father to the fatherless, and plead
the cause of the widow, comfort the feeble-minded, support
the weak, heal the sick, relieve the needy, defend the oppressed,
and administer to every one according to their several necessi-
ties ; let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to
me, and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessary either
to their bodies or their souls. [_Here name thy nearest
relations.'] Reward all those that have done me good, and
pardon all those that have done or wished me evil, and work
in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable
in thy sight, through Jesus Christ.
For Preservation.
O MERCIFUL God, by whose bounty alone it is that I have
this day added to my life, I beseech thee so to guide me in
it by thy grace, that I may do nothing which may dishonour
thee, or wound my own soul, but that I may diligently apply
myself to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for
me to Walk in ; and. Lord, I beseech thee, give thy angels
charge over me, to keep me in all my ways, that no evil
280 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
happen unto me, nor any plague come nigh my dwelling, but
that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection,
through Jesus Christ.
O Lord, pardon the wanderings and coldness of these
petitions, and deal with me, not according either to my
prayers or deserts, but according to my needs and thine own
rich mercies in Jesus Christ, in whose blessed name and
words I conclude these my imperfect prayers ; saying, Our
Father, &c.
DIRECTIONS FOR NIGHT.
At night when it draws towards the time of rest, bethink thyself how
thou hast passed the day ; examine thine own heart what sin either of
thought, word, or deed, thou hast committed, what opportunity of doing
good thou hast omitted, and whatsoever thou findest to accuse thyself
of, confess humbly and penitently to God, renew thy purposes and resolu-
tions of amendment, and beg his pardon in Christ, and this not slightly,
and only as of course, but with all devout earnestness, and heartiness, as
thou wouldst do if thou wert sure thy death was as near approaching as
thy sleep, which for ought thou knowest maybe so indeed, and therefore
thou shouldst no more venture to sleep unreconciled to God, than thou
wouldst dare to die so. In the next place, consider what special and
extraordinary mercies thou hast that day received, as if thou hast had any
great deliverance, either in thy inward man, from some dangerous temp-
tations, or in thy outward, from any great and apparent danger, and offer
to God thy hearty and devout praise for the same ; or if nothing extraor-
dinary have so happened, and thou hast been kept even from the approach
of danger, thou hast not the less, but the greater cause to magnify God,
who hath by his protection so guarded thee, that not so much as the fear
of evil hath assaulted thee. And therefore omit not to pay him the tribute
of humble thankfulness, as well for his usual and daily preservations, as
his more extraordinary deliverances. And above all, endeavour still by
the consideration of his mercies to have thy heart the more closely knit
to him, remembering that every favour received from him is a new en-
gagement upon thee to love and obey him.
PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
O HOLY, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and
one God, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner.
Lord, I know not what to pray for as I ought, O let thy
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 281
Spirit help my infirmities, and enable me to offer up a spi-
ritual sacrifice, acceptable unto thee by Jesus Christ.
A Confession.
O MOST Holy Lord God, who art of purer eyes than to be-
hold iniquity, how shall I, abominable wretch, dare to appear
before thee, who am nothing but pollution ? I am defiled in
my very nature, having a backwardness to all good, and a
readiness to all evil ; but I have defiled myself yet much
worse by my own actual sins and wicked customs : I have
transgressed my duty to thee, my neighbour, and myself,
and that both in thought, in word, and in deed, by doing
those things which thou hast expressly forbidden, and by ne-
glecting to do those things thou hast commanded me. And
this not only through ignorance in frailty, but knowingly and
wilfully, against the motions of thy Spirit, and the checks of
my own conscience to the contrary. And to make all these
out of measure sinful, I have gone on in a daily course of re-
peating these provocations against thee, notwithstanding all
thy calls to, and my own purposes and vows of amendment ;
yea, this very day I have not ceased to add new sins to all
my former guilts. \_Here name the particulars.'] And now,
O Lord, what shall I say, or how shall I open my mouth,
seeing I have done these things ? I know that the wages of
these sins is death ; but O thou who wiliest not the death of
a sinner, have mercy upon me ; work in me, I beseech thee,
a sincere contrition, and a perfect hatred of my sins : and
let me not daily confess, and yet as daily renew them : but
grant, O Lord, that from this instant I may give a bill of di-
vorce to all my most beloved lusts, and then be thou pleased
to marry me to thyself in truth, in righteousness and holiness.
And for all my past sins, O Lord, receive a reconciliation ;
accept of that ransom thy blessed Son hath paid for me, and
for his sake whom thou hast set forth as a propitiation, pardon
all my offences, and receive me to thy favour. And when thou
hast thus spoken peace to my soul. Lord, keep me, that I turn
not any more to folly, but so establish me with thy grace,
that no temptation of the world, the devil, or my own flesh,
may ever draw me to offend thee ; that being made free from
sin, and becoming a servant unto God, I may have my fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
23*
282 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
A Thanksgiving.
O THOU Father of Mercies, who art kind even to the
unthankful, I acknowledge myself to have abundantly experi-
mented that gracious property of thine ; for notwithstanding
my daily provocations against thee, thou still heapest mercy
and loving-kindness upon me. All my contempts and de-
spisings of thy spiritual favours have not yet made thee with-
draw them, but in the riches of thy goodness and long-suffering
thou still continuest to me the offers of grace and life in thy
Son. And all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou
hast not punished with an utter deprivation of them, but
art still pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them. The
sins of this day thou hast not repaid, as justly thou mightest,
by sweeping me away with a swift destruction, but hast
spared and preserved me, according to the greatness of thy
mercy. [_Here mention the particular mercies of that day.']
What shall I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he
hath done unto me ? Lord, let this goodness of thine lead
me to repentance, and grant that I may not only offer thee
thanks and praise, but may also order my conversation aright,
that so I may at the last see the salvation of God, through
Jesus Christ.
[^Here use the Prayer for Grace, and that of Intercession
appointed for the Morning.']
For Preservation.
O BLESSED Lord, the keeper of Israel, that neither slum-
berest nor sleepest, be pleased in thy mercy to watch over
me this night ; keep me by thy grace from all works of dark-
ness, and defend me by thy power from all dangers : grant
me moderate and refreshing sleep, such as may fit me for the
duties of the day following. And, Lord, make me ever mind-
ful of that time when I shall lie down in the dust ; and be-
cause I know neither the day nor the hour of my Master's
coming, grant me grace that I may be always ready, that I
may never live in such a state as I shall fear to die in ; but
that whether I live, I may live unto the Lord, or whether I
die, I may die unto the Lord, so that, living and dying, I
may be thine, through Jesus Christ.
{Use the same concluding Prayer as in the Morning.]
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 283
As thou art putting off thy clothes, think with thyself that the time ap-
proaches that thou must put off thy body also, and then thy soul must
appear naked before God's judgment-seat; and therefore thou hadst
need be careful to make it so clean and pure by repentance and holiness,
that he who will not look on iniquity may graciously behold and ac-
cept it.
Let thy Bed put thee in mind of thy Grave, and when
thou liest down say,
0 BLESSED Saviour, who by thy precious death and burial
didst take away the sting of death and the power of the
grave, grant me the joyful fruits of that thy victory, and be
thou to me in life and death advantage.
1 will lay me down in peace, and take my rest ; for it is
thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit ; for thou hast re-
deemed it, O Lord, thou God of truth.
In the ancient church there were, besides morning and night, four
other times every day which were called Hours of Prayer, and the zeal
of those first Christians was such, as made them constantly observed. It
would be thought too great a strictness now, in this lukewarm age, to
enjoin the hke frequency ; yet I cannot but mention the example, and say,
that for those who are not by very necessary business prevented, it will
be but reasonable to imitate it, and make up in public and private those
FOUR TIMES of PRAYER, bcsidcs the OFFICES already set down for morn-
ing and NIGHT ; and that none may be to seek how to exercise their
devotions at these times, I have added divers Collects for several Graces,
whereof every man may use at each such time of prayer so many as his
zeal and leisure shall point out to him, adding, if he please, one of the
Confessions appointed for Morning or Night, and never omitting the
Lord's Prayer.
But if any man's state of life be really so busy, as will not allow him
time for so long and solemn devotions ; yet certainly there is no man so
overlaid with business, but that he may find leisure oftentimes in a day
to say the Lord's Prayer alone : and therefore let him use that, if he
cannot more. But because it is the character of a Christian, Phil. iii.
20, that he hath his conversation in heaven, it is very fit that besides these
set times of prayer, he should divers times in a day, by short and sudden
EJACULATIONS, dart up his soul thither. And for this sort of devotion no
man can want leisure, for it may be performed in the midst of business ;
the artificer at his work, the husbandman at his plough may practise it
Now as he cannot want time, so that he may not want matter for it I
284 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
have thought it not unuseful, out of that rich storehouse the Book of
Psalms, to furnish him with some texts, which may very fitly be used for
this purpose ; which being learned by heart, will always be ready at hand
to employ his devotion ; and the matter of them being various, some for
pardon of sins, some for Grace, some for the Hght of God's countenance,
some for the Church, some for Thanksgiving, «fec. every man may fit
himself according to the present need and temper of his soul. I have
given these not as a full collection, but only a taste, by which the reader's
appetite may be raised to search after more in that book, and other parts
of Holy Scripture.
COLLECTS FOR SEVERAL GRACES.
For Faith.
O BLESSED Lord, whom without faith it is impossible to
please, let thy Spirit, I beseech thee, work in me such a faith
as may be acceptable in thy sight, even such as worketh by
love. O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual faith, but grant
that it may be such as may show itself by my works, that
it may be that victorious faith, which may enable me to over-
come the world, and conform me to the image of that Christ,
on whom I believe ; that so at the last I may receive the end
of my faith, even the salvation of my soul, by the same
Jesus Christ.
For Hope.
0 Lord, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, let
me never be destitute of a well-grounded hope, nor yet pos-
sessed with a vain presumption : suffer me not to think thou
wilt either be reconciled to my sins, or reject my repent-
ance : but give me, I beseech thee, such a hope as may be
answerable to the only ground of hope, thy promises ; and
such as may both encourage and enable me to purify myself
from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, that so it may in-
deed become to me an anchor of the soul both sure and
steadfast, entering even within the veil ; whither the fore-
runner is for me entered, even Jesus Christ my High Priest
and blessed Redeemer.
For the Love of God.
O HOLY and gracious Lord, who art infinitely excellent in
thyself, and infinitely bountiful and compassionate towards
me, I beseech thee sufier not my heart to be so hardened
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 285
through the deceitfuhiess of sin, as to resist such charms of
love, but let them make deep and lasting impressions on my
soul. Lord, thou art pleased to require my heart, and thou
^ only hast right to it. O let me not be so sacrilegiously un-
just as to alienate any part of it, but enable me to render it
up whole and entire to thee. But, O my God, thou seest
it is already usurped, the world with its vanities hath seized
it, and like a strong man armed keeps possession. O thou
who art stronger, come upon him, and take this unworthy
heart of mine as thine own spoil, refine it with that purify-
ing fire of thy love, that it may be a fit habitation for thy
Spirit. Lord, if thou seest it fit, be pleased to let me taste
of those joys, those ravishments of thy love, wherewith thy
saints have been so transported. But if in this I know not
what I ask, if I may not choose my place in thy kingdom,
yet, O Lord, deny me not to drink of thy cup, let me have such
a sincerity and degree of love, as may make me endure any
thing for thy sake, such a perfect love as may cast out all
fear and sloth too, that nothing may seem to me too grievous
to suffer, or too difficult to do in obedience to thee : that so
expressing my love by keeping thy commandments, I may
by thy mercy at last obtain that crown of life, which thou
hast promised to those that love thee, through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
For Sincerity.
O HOLY Lord, who requirest truth in the inward parts, I
humbly beseech thee to purge me from all hypocrisy and
unsincerity. The heart, O Lord, is deceitful above all
things, and my heart is deceitful above all hearts : O thou
who searchest the heart and reins, try me, and seek the
ground of my heart, and suffer not any accursed thing to
lurk within me, but purify me even with fire, so thou con-
sume my dross. O Lord, I cannot deceive thee, but I may
most easily deceive myself. I beseech thee let me not rest
in any such deceit ; but bring me to a sight and hatred of
my most hidden corruptions, that I may not cherish any dar-
ling lust, but make an utter destruction of every Amalekite.
O suffer me not to speak peace to myself, when there is no
peace, but grant I may judge of myself as thou judgest of
me, that I may never be at peace with myself, till I am at
perfect peace with thee, and by purity of heart be qualified
to see thee in thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ.
286 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
For Devotion in Prayer.
O GRACIOUS Lord God, who not only permittest, but in-
vitest us miserable and needy creatures to present our peti-
tions to thee ; grant, I beseech thee, that the frequency of my
prayer may be somewhat proportionable to those continual
needs I have of thy mercy. Lord, I confess it is the great-
est honour and greatest advantage, thus to be allowed access
to thee ; yet so sottish and stupid is my profane heart, that
it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it. My soul, O
Lord, is possessed with a spirit of infirmity, it is bowed
together, and can in no wise lift up itself to thee; O be thou
pleased to cure this sad, this miserable disease, to inspirit
and enliven this earthly drossy heart, that it may freely
mount towards thee ; that I may set a true value on this
most valuable privilege, and take delight in approaching to
thee : and that my approaches may be with a reverence
some way answerable to that awful Majesty I come before ;
with an importunity and earnestness answerable to those
pressing wants I have to be supplied ; and with such a fix-
edness and attention of mind, as no wandering thoughts may
interrupt : that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing
near to thee with my lips, when my heart is far from thee,
or have my prayers turned into sin ; but may so ask that I
may receive, seek that I may find, knock that it may be
opened unto me ; that from praying to thee here, I may be
translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glory, through
the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ.
For Humility.
O THOU high and lofty One, that inhabitest eternity, yet
art pleased to dwell with the humble spirit, pour into my
heart, I beseech thee, that excellent grace of humility, which
may utterly work out all those vain conceits I have of myself.
Lord, convince me powerfully of my own wretchedness ;
make me to see that I am miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked, and not only dust, but sin ; that so in all thy dis-
pensations towards me, I may lay my hand upon my mouth,
and heartily acknowledge that I am less than the least of
thy mercies, and greater than the greatest of thy judgments.
And, O Lord, grant me not only to walk humbly with my
God, but even with men also, that I may not only submit
myself to thy rebukes, but even to those of my fellow Chris-
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 287
tians, and with meekness receive and obey their admonitions.
And make me so to behave myself towards all, that I never
do any thing through strife and vain glory : and to that end
grant, that in lowliness of mind I may esteem every other
man better than myself, and be willing that others should
esteem them so also ; that I neither nourish any high opi-
nion of myself, nor covet one among others, but that, des-
pising the vain praise of men, I may seek that praise which
Cometh from thee only. That so instead of those mean ser-
vile arts I have used to recommend me to the esteem of men,
I may now employ all my industry and care to approve my-
self to thee, who resislest the proud, and givest grace to the
humble : grant this, O Lord, for his sake who humbled him-
self unto the death of the cross, Jesus Christ.
For the Fear of God.
O GLORIOUS Majesty, who only art high, and to be feared,
possess my soul with a holy awe and reverence of thee, that
I may give thee the honour due unto thy Name, and may
bear such a respect to all things which relate to thee, that I
may never profane any holy thing, or sacrilegiously invade
what thou hast set apart to thyself. And, O Lord, since thou
art a God that wilt not clear the guilty, let the dread of thy
justice make me tremble to provoke thee in any thing. O
let me not so misplace my fear, as to be afraid of a man
that shall die, and of the son of man, w^ho shall be made as
grass, and forget the Lord my maker : but replenish my soul
with that fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom,
which may be as a bridle to all my brutish appetites, and
keep me in a constant conformity to thy holy will. Hear
me, O Lord, I beseech thee, and put this fear in my heart,
that I may not depart from thee, but may with fear and
tremblng work out my own salvation, through Jesus Chirst.
For Trust on God.
O Almighty Lord, who never failest them that trust on
thee: Give me grace, I beseech thee, in all my difficulties and
distresses, to have recourse to thee, to rest and depend on
thee ; thou shalt keep him, O Lord, in perfect peace, whose
mind is staid on thee. O let me always rest on this firm
pillar, and never exchange it for the broken reeds of worldly
succours ; suffer not my heart to be overcharged with the
288 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
cares of this life, taking thought what I shall eat, or drink,
or wherewithal I shall be clothed, but grant that, having by-
honest labour and industry done my part, I may cheerfully
commit myself to thy providence, casting all my care upon
thee, and being careful for nothing, but to be of the number
of those whom thou ownest and carest for, even such as keep
thy testimonies, and think upon thy commandments to do
them. That, seeking first thy kingdom and the righteous-
ness thereof, all these outward things may be added unto me,
in such a measure as thy wisdom knows best for me ; grant
this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ his sake.
For Thankfulness.
O MOST gracious and bountiful Lord, who fillest all things
living with good, and expectest no other return but praise and
thanksgiving ; let me, 0 Lord, never defraud thee of that so
easy tribute, but let my heart be ever filled with the sense,
and my mouth with the acknowledgment of thy mercies.
It is a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful ; O suffer me
not, I beseech thee, to lose my part in that divine pleasure ;
but grant that as I daily receive blessings from thee, so I may
daily from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks
to thee ; and grant that not only my lips, but my life, may
show forth thy praise, by consecrating myself to thy service,
and walking in holiness and righteousness before thee all
the days of my life, through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed
Saviour.
For Contrition.
O HOLY Lord, who art a merciful embracer of true peni-
tents, but yet a consuming fire towards obstinate sinners ; how
shall I approach thee, who have so many provoking sins to
inflame thy wrath, and so little sincere repentance to incline
thy mercy ! O be pleased to soften and melt this hard obdu-
rate heart of mine, that I may heartily bewail the iniquities
of my life ; strike this rock, O Lord, that the waters may
flow out, even floods of tears, to wash my polluted conscience.
My drowsy soul hath too long slept securely in sin ; Lord,
awake it, though it be with thunder, and let me rather feel
thy terrors than not feel my sin. Thou sentest thy blessed
Son to heal the broken-hearted ; but, Lord, what will that
avail me, if my heart be whole ? O break it, that it may be
capable of this healing virtue ; and grant, I beseech thee, that
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 289
having once tasted the bitterness of sin, I may fly from it as
from the face of a serpent, and bring forth fruits of repentance
in amendment of Ufe, to the praise and glory of thy grace in
Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer.
For Meekness.
O BLESSED Jesu, who was led as a sheep to the slaughter,
let, I beseech thee, that admirable example of meekness
quench in me all sparks of anger and revenge, and work in
me such a gentleness and calmness of spirit, as no provoca-
tions may ever be able to disturb. Lord, grant I may be so
far from offering the least injury, that I may never return
the greatest, any otherwise ihan with prayers and kindness :
that I who have so many talents to be forgiven by thee, may
never exact pence of my brethren ; but that, putting on bowels
of mercy, meekness, long-suffering, thy peace may rule in
my heart, and make it an acceptable habitation to thee, who
art the Prince of peace, to whom with the Father and Holy
Spirit be all honour and glory for ever.
For Chastity.
O HOLY and immaculate Jesus, whose first descent was
into the Virgin's womb, and who dost still love to inhabit
only in pure and virgin hearts, I beseech thee send thy Spirit
of purity to cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and
spirit ; my body, O Lord, is the temple of the Holy Ghost ;
O let me never pollute that temple with any uncleanness.
And because out of the heart proceed the things that defile
the man. Lord, grant me to keep my heart with all diligence,
that no impure or foul thoughts be harboured there ; but
enable me, I beseech thee, to keep both body and soul pure
and undefiled, that so I may glorify thee here both in body
and spirit, and be glorified in both with thee hereafter.
For Temperance.
O GRACIOUS Lord, who hast in thy bounty to mankind
offered to us the use of thy good creatures for our corporal
refreshment; grant that I may always use this liberty with
thankfulness and moderation. 0 let me never be so enslaved
to that brutish pleasure of taste, that my table become a
snare to me ; but give me, I beseech thee, a perfect abhorrence
of all degress of excess, and let me eat and drink only for
those ends, and according to those measures, which thou hast
25
290 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
assigned me, for health, and not for luxury. And, Lord,
grant that my pursuits may be not after the meat that perish-
eth, but after that which endureth to everlasting life ; that
hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I may be filled
with thy grace here, and thy glory hereafter, through Jesus
Christ.
For Contentedness.
O MERCIFUL God, thy wisdom is infinite to choose, and
thy love forward to dispense good things to us ; O let me
always fully and entirely resign myself to thy disposals, have
no desires of my own, but a perfect satisfaction in thy choices
for me ; that so in whatsoever estate I am, I may be therein
content. Lord, grant I may never look with murmuring on
my own condition, nor with envy on other men's. And to
that end, I beseech thee, purge my heart of all covetous af-
fections. O let me never yield up any corner of my soul to
Mammon, but give me such a contempt of these fading riches,
that whether they increase or decrease, I may never set my
heart upon them, but that all my care may be to be rich to-
wards God, to lay up my treasure in heaven ; that I may so
set my affections on things above, that when Christ who is
my life shall appear, I may also appear with him in glory.
Grant this, O Lord, for the merits of the same Jesus Christ.
For Diligence.
O Lord, who hast in thy wisdom ordained that man
should be born to labour, suffer me not to resist that design
of thine, by giving myself up to sloth and idleness ; but grant
I may so employ my time, and all other talents thou hast
intrusted me with, that I may not fail under the sentence of
the slothful and wicked servant. Lord, if it be thy will,
make me some way useful to others, that I may not live an
unprofitable part to mankind ; but, however, O Lord, let me
not be useless to myself, but grant I may give all diligence
to make my calling and election sure. My soul is beset with
many and vigilant adversaries ; O let me not fold my hands
to sleep in the midst of so great dangers, but watch and pray,
that I enter not into temptation ; enduring harshness as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ, till at the last from this state
of warfare, thou translate me to the state of triumph and bliss
in thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 291
For Justice.
O THOU King of Righteousness, v/ho hast commanded us
to keep judgment and do Justice, be pleased by thy grace to
cleanse my heart and hands from all fraud and injustice, and
give me a perfect integrity and uprightness in all my deal-
ings. O make me ever abhor to use my power to oppress,
or my skill to deceive my brother, and grant I may most
strictly observe that sacred rule, of doing as I would be done
to ; that I may not dishonour my Christian profession by an
unjust and fraudulent life, but in simplicity and godly sin-
cerity, have my conversation in this life ; never seeking to
heap up treasures in this life ; but preferring a little with
righteousness before great revenues without right. Lord,
make me exactly careful to render to every man what by
any sort of obligation becomes his due, that I may never
break the bond of any of those relations that thou hast
placed me in, but may so behave myself towards all, that
none may have any evil thing to say of me ; that so if it be
possible, I may have peace with all men, or, however, I may,
by keeping innocency, and taking heed to the thing that is
right, have peace at the last, even peace with thee, through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
For Charity.
O MERCIFUL Lord, who hast made of one blood, and re-
deemed by one ransom, all nations of men, let me never
harden my bowels against any that partake of the same na-
ture and redemption with me, but grant me an universal cha-
rity towards all men. Give me, O thou Father of compas-
sions, such a tenderness and meltingness of heart, that I may
be deeply affected with all the miseries and calamities out-
ward and inward of my brethren ; and diligendy employ all
my abilities for their succour and relief. O let not an un-
christian self-love possess my heart, but drive out that ac-
cursed spirit, and let thy spirit of love enter and dwell there,
and make me seek, not to please myself, but my neighbour
for his good to edification, even as Christ pleased not himself.
Lord, make me a faithful steward of all those talents thou
hast committed to me for the benefit of others, that so when
thou shalt call me to give an account of my stewardship, I
may do it with joy, and not with grief. Grant this, merciful
Lord, I beseech thee, for Jesus Christ his sake.
292 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
For Perseverance.
O ETERNAL and unchangeable Lord God, who art the
same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever ; be thou pleased
to communicate some small ray of that excellence, some de-
gree of that stability to me thy wretched creature, who am
light and unconstant, turned about with every blast ; my un-
derstanding is very deceivable, O establish it in thy truth,
keep it from the snares of seducing spirits, that I may not be
led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from my own
steadfastness ; my will also, O Lord, is irresolute and waver-
ing, and doth not cleave steadfastly unto God ; my goodness
is but as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth
away. O strengthen and confirm me, and whatever good
work thou hast wrought in me, be pleased to accomplish and
perform it until the day of Christ. Lord, thou seest my
weakness, and thou knowest the number and strength of
those temptations I have to struggle with, O leave me not to
myself, but cover thou my head in the day of battle, and in
all spiritual combats make me more than conqueror through
him that loved me. O let no terrors or flatteries either of
the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience
to thee ; but grant that I may continue steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, and by patient
continuing in well doing seek, and at last obtain glory, and
honour, and immortality, and eternal life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
A BRIEF PARAPHRASE OF THE LORD'S
PRAYER
TO BE USED AS A PRAYER.
Our Father, ivhich art in Heaven.
O Lord, who dwellest in the highest heavens, thou art
the author of our being, thou hast also begotten us again
unto a lively hope, and carriest towards us the tenderness
and bowels of a compassionate Father. O make us to ren-
der to thee the love and obedience of children ; and that we
may resemble thee our Father in heaven, (that place of true
delight and purity) give us a holy disdain of all the deceit-
ful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world, and so raise
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 293
up our minds, that we may always have our conversation in
heaven, from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1. Halloived be thy Name.
Strike such an awe in our hearts, that we may humbly
reverence thee in Thy Name, which is great, wonderful,
and holy ; and carry such a sacred respect to all things that
relate to thee and thy worship, as may express our reverence
to thy great Majesty. Let all the people praise thee, O God,
let all the people praise thee.
2. Thy Kingdom come.
Establish thy throne and rule for ever in our souls, and
by the power of thy grace subdue all those rebellious cor-
ruptions that exalt themselves against thee ; they are those
enemies of thine which would not that thou shouldst reign
over them, O let them be brought forth and slain before thee,
and make us such faithful subjects of this thy kingdom of
grace, that we may be capable of the kingdom of glory,
and then, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
3. Thy will be done in earth, S^c.
Enable us by thy grace cheerfully to suffer thy ivill in all
thy afflictions, and readily perform it in all thy commands :
give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service, wherewith the
blessed angels of thy presence are inspired, that we may
obey thee with the like fervour and alacrity, and that follow-
ing them in their obedience, we may be joined with them to
sing eternal praises in thy kingdom, to God, and to the Lamb
for ever.
4. Give us this day our, fyc.
Give us that continual supply of thy grace, which may
sustain and nourish our souls unto eternal life. And be thou
pleased also to provide for oyr bodies all those things which
thou seest fit for their support, through this our earthly pil-
grimage ; and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them,
first seeking thy kingdom and the righteousness thereof, and
then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us.
5. Forgive us our trespasses, ^c.
Heal our souls, O Lord, for we have sinned against thee,
25*
294 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
let thy tendei* mercies abound towards us, in the forgiveness
of all our offences; and grant, O Lord, that we may never
forfeit this pardon of thine, by denying ours to our brethren,
but give us those bowels of compassion lo others which wc
stand in so much greater need of from thee, that we mayybr-
give as fully and jfinally upon Christ's command, as we de-
sire to heforgiven, for his merits and intercession.
6. Lead us not into temptation, ^-c.
O Lord, we have no strength against those multitudes of
temptations that daily assault us, only our eyes are upon
thee ; O be thou pleased either to restrain them, or assist us,
and in thy faithfulness suffer us not to be tempted above that
we are able, but in all our temptations make us a way to
escape, that we be not overcome by them, but may, when
thou shalt call us to it, resist even unto blood, striving against
sin, that we being faithful unto death, thou may est give us
the crown of life.
For thine is the Kingdom.
Hear us, and graciously answer our petitions, for thou
art the good Xing over all the earth, whose Power is infi-
nite, and art able to do for us above all that we can ask or
think, and to whom belongeth the Glory of all that good
thou workest in us or for us. Therefore blessing, honour,
glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, to
our God for ever and ever. Jlmcn.
PIOUS EJACULATIONS
TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS.
For Pardon of Sin.
Have mercy on me, O God, after thy great goodness,
according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine
offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me
from my sin.
Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds.
My misdeeds prevail against me ; O be thou merciful unto
my sins.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 295
Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight
shall no man living be justified.
For thy Name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto my sin,
for it is great.
Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul. O save me for
thy mercies' sake.
For Grace.
Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art
my God.
Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth;
0 knit my heart to thee, that I may fear thy name.
Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me.
0 let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not
ashamed.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covet-
ousness.
Turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity, and quicken
thou me in thy way.
1 am a stranger upon earth, O hide not thy commandments
from me.
Lord, teach me to number my days, that I may apply my
heart unto wisdom.
For the Light of Gocfs Countenance.
Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul, and hidest thy face
from me ? O hide not thou thy face from me, nor cast thy
servant away in displeasure.
Thy loving-kindness is better than life itself.
liord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me.
Comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do
1 Hft up my soul.
Thanksgiving.
I WILL always give thanks unto the Lord, his praise shall
ever be in my mouth.
Thou art my God, and I will thank thee, thou art my God,
and I will praise thee.
I will sing unto the Lord, as long as I live, I will praise
my God whilst I have my being.
Praised be God, which hast not cast out my prayer, nor
turned his mercy from me.
296 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which
only doth wondrous things :
And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever, and all
the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen. Amen.
For Deliverance from, Trouble.
Be merciful unto me, O Lord, be merciful unto me, for my
soul trusteth in thee, and under the shadow of thy wings
shall be my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies, for I flee unto
thee to hide me.
O keep my soul, and deliver me, let me not be confounded,
for I have put my trust in thee.
Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord : for he shall
pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me : for I am
desolate and in misery.
The sorrows of my heart are enlarged : O bring thou me
out of my troubles.
For the Church.
O BE favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the
walls of Jerusalem.
O God, wherefore art thou absent from us so long ? Why
is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture ?
0 think upon thy congregation, whom thou hast purchased
and redeemed of old.
Look upon the tribe of thine inheritance, and Mount Sion
where thou hast dwelt.
It is time for thee. Lord, to lay to thy hand, for they have
destroyed thy law.
Arise, O God, and maintain thine own cause : deliver
Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
BRIEF HEADS OF SELF-EXAMINATION,
Especially before the Sacrament, collected out of the fore
going Treatise, concerning the Breaches of our Duty.
TO GOD.
Faith.
Not believing there is a God.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 29t
Not believing his Word.
Not believing it practically, so as to live according to our
belief.
Hope.
Despairing of God's mercy, so as to neglect duty.
Presuming groundlessly on it, whilst we go on in wilful
sin.
Love.
Not loving God for his excellencies.
Not loving him for his goodness to us.
Not labouring to please him.
Not desiring to draw near to him in his ordinances.
Not longing to enjoy him in heaven.
Fear.
Not fearing God so as to keep from offending him.
Fearing man above him, by committing sin, to shun some
outward suffering.
Trust.
Not trusting on God in dangers and distresses.
Using unlawful means to bring us out of them.
Not depending on God for supply of our wants.
Immoderate care for outward things.
Neglecting to labour, and expecting God should support
us in our idleness.
Not looking up to God for a blessing on our honest en-
deavours.
Humility.
Not having a high esteem of God.
Not submitting obediently to act his will.
Not patiently suffering it, but murmuring at his correc-
tions.
Not amending by them.
Not being thankful to him.
Not acknowledging his wisdom in choosing for us, but
having anger and impatient desires of our own.
Honour.
Not honouring God by a reverent usage of the things that
relate to him.
298 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Behaving ourselves irreverently in his house.
Robbing God, by taking things that are consecrated to him.
Profaning holy times, the Lord's day, and the feasts and
fasts of the Church.
Neglecting to read the Holy Scriptures, not marking when
we do read.
Being careless to get knowledge of our duty, choosing
rather to continue ignorant, than put ourselves to the pains
or charge of learning.
Placing religion in hearing of sermons, without practice
Breaking our vow made at baptism.
By resorting to witches and conjurers ; i. e. to the devil.
By loving the pomps and vanities of the world, and fol-
lowing its sinful customs.
By fulfilling the lusts of the jElesh.
Profaning the Lord's Supper.
By coming to it ignorantly without examination, contrition,
and purposes of new life.
By behaving ourselves irreverently at it, without devotion
and spiritual affection.
By neglecting to keep, the promises made at it.
Profaning God's name, by blasphemous thoughts or dis-
course.
Giving others occasion to blaspheme him by our vile and
wicked lives.
Taking unlawful oaths.
Perjury.
Swearing in ordinary communication.
Worship.
Not worshipping God.
Omitting prayers, public or private, and being glad of a
pretence to do so.
Asking unlawful things, or to unlawful ends.
Not purifying our hearts from sin before we pray.
Not praying with faith and humility.
Coldness and deadness in prayer.
Wandering thoughts in it.
Irreverent gestures of body in prayer.
Bepe7itance.
Neglecting the duty of repentance.
Not calling ourselves to daily account for our sins.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 299
Not assigning any set or solemn times for humiliation and
confession, or too seldom.
Not deeply considering our sins, to beget contrition.
Not acting revenge upon ourselves, by fasting and other
acts of mortification.
Idolatry.
Outward idolatry in worshipping of creatures. Inward
idolatry, in placing our love and other affections more on
creatures than the Creator.
TO OURSELVES.
Humility.
Being puffed up with high conceits of ourselves.
In respect of natural parts, as beauty, wit, &c.
Of worldly riches and honours.
Of grace.
Greedily seeking the praise of men.
Directing Christian actions, as prayer, alms, &lc. to that
end.
Committing sins to avoid reproach from wicked men.
Meekness.
Disturbing our minds with anger and peevishness.
Consideration.
Not carefully examining what our estate towards God is.
Not trying ourselves by the true rule, i. e. our obedience
to God's commands.
Not weighing the lawfulness of our actions before we ven-
ture on them.
Not examining our past actions, to repent of the ill, to give
God the glory of the good.
Contentedness.
Uncontentedness in our estates.
Greedy desires after honour and riches.
Seeking to gain them by sinful means.
Envying the condition of other men.
Diligence, Watchfulness.
Being negligent in observing and resisting temptations.
300 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Not improving God's gifts, outward or inward, to his ho-
nour.
Abusing our natural parts, as wit, memory, &c. to sin.
Neglecting or resisting the motions of God's Spirit.
Chastity.
Uncleanness, adultery, fornication, unnatural lusts, &;c.
Uncleanness of the eye and hand.
Filthy and obscene talking.
Impure fancies and desires.
Heightening of lust by pampering the body.
Not labouring to subdue it by fasting, or other severities.
Tempercmce,
Eating too much.
Making pleasure, not health, the end of eatuig.
Being too curious or costly in meats.
Drunkenness.
Drinking more than is useful to our bodies, though not to
drunkenness.
Wasting the time or estate in good fellowship.
Abusing our strength of brain to the making others drunk.
Immoderate sleeping.
Idleness and negligence in our callings.
Using unlawful recreations.
Being too vehement upon lawful ones.
Spending too much time at them.
Being drawn by them to anger or covetousness.
Being proud of apparel.
Striving to go beyond our rank.
Bestowing too much time, care, or cost about it.
Abstaining from such excesses, not out of conscience but
covetousness.
Pinching our bodies to fill our purses,
TO OUR NEIGHBOUR.
Negative Justice.
Being injurious to our neighbour.
Delighting causelessly to grieve his mind.
Ensnaring his soul in sin, by command, counsel, entice-
ment, or example.
Affrighting him from godliness, by our scoffing at it.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 301
Not seeking to bring those to repentance whom we have
led into sin.
Murder.
Murder, open or secret.
Drawing men to intemperance or other vices, which may
bring diseases or death.
Stirring men up to quarrelling and fighting.
Maiming or hurting the body of our neighbour.
Fierceness and rage against him.
Adultery
Coveting our neighbour's wife.
Actually defiling her.
Malice.
Spoiling the goods of others upon spite and malice.
Covetousness.
Coveting to gain them to ourselves.
Oppression.
Oppression by violence and force, or colour of law.
Theft.
Not paying what we borrow.
Not paying what we have voluntarily promised.
Keeping back the wages of the servant and hireling.
Deceit.
Unfaithfulness in trusts, whether to the living or dead.
TJsing arts of deceit in buying and selling.
Exacting upon the necessities of our neighbours.
False Witness.
Blasting the credit of our neighbour.
By false witness.
By railing.
By whispering.
Encouraging others in their slanders.
Being forward to believe all ill reports of our neighbour.
Causeless suspicions.
26
302 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Rash judging of him.
Despising him for his infirmities.
Inviting others to do so, by scoffing and deriding him.
Bearing any malice in the heart.
Secret wishing of death or hurt to our neighbour.
Rejoicing when any evil befalls him.
Neglecting to make what satisfaction we can, for any sort
of injury done to our neighbour.
Positive Justice, Humility, Lying.
Churlish and proud behaviour to others.
Froward and peevish conversation.
Bitter and reproachful language.
Cursing.
Not paying the respect due to the qualities or gifts of others.
Proudly overlooking them.
Seeking to lessen others' esteem of them.
Not employing our abilities, whether of mind or estate, in
administering to those whose wants require it.
Gratitude.
Unthankfulness to our benefactors.
Especially those that admonish us.
Not amending upon their reproof.
Being angry at them for it.
Not reverencing our civil parent, the lawful magistrate.
Judging and speaking evil of him.
Grudging his just tributes.
Sowing sedition among people.
Refusing to obey his lawful commands.
Rising up against him, or taking part with them that do.
Despising our spiritual fathers.
Not loving them for their works' sake.
Not obeying those commands of God they deliver to us.
Seeking to withhold from them their just maintenance.
Forsaking our lawful pastors to follow factious teachers.
Parents.
Stubborn and irreverent behaviour to our natural parents.
Despising and publishing their infirmities.
Not loving them, nor endeavouring to bring them comfort.
Contemning their counsels.
Murmuring at their government.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 3()lp
Coveting their estates, though by their death.
Not ministering to them in their wants of all sorts.
Neglecting to pray for God's blessing on the several sorts
of parents.
Want of natural affection to children.
Mothers refusing to nurse them without a just impediment.
Not bringing them timely to baptism.
Not early instructing them in the ways of God.
Suffering them for want of timely correction to get cus-
toms of sin.
Setting them evil examples.
Discouraging them by harsh and cruel usage.
Not providing for their subsistance according to our ability.
Consuming their portions in our own riot.
Reserving all till our death, and letting them want in the
mean time.
Not seeking to entail a blessing on them by our Christian
lives.
Not heartily praying for them.
Want of affection to our natural brethren.
Envyings and heart-burnings towards them.
Duty to Brethren.
Not lovmg our spiritual brethren, i. e. our fellow-Chris-
tians.
Having no felloAV- feeling of their sufferings.
Causelessly forsaking their communion in holy duties.
Not taking deeply to heart the desolations of the church.
Marriage.
Marrying within the degrees forbidden.
Marrying for undue ends, as covetousness, lust, &c.
Unkind, froward, and unquiet behaviour towards the hus-
band or wife.
Unfaithfulness to the bed.
Not bearing with the infirmities of each other.
Not endeavouring to advance one another's good, spiritual
or temporal.
The wife resisting the lawful commands of her husband.
Her striving for rule and dominion over him.
Not praying for each other.
304 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Friendship.
Unfaithfulness to a friend.
Betraying his secrets.
Denying him assistance in this needs.
Neglecting lovingly to admonish him.
Flattering him in his faults.
Forsaking his friendship upon slight or no cause.
Making leagues in sin instead of virtuous friendship.
Servants.
Servants disobeying the lawful commands of their mas-
ters.
Purloining their goods.
Carelessly wasting them.
Murmuring at their rebukes
Idleness.
Eye-service.
Masters.
Masters using servants tyrannically and cruelly.
Being too remiss, and suffering them to neglect their duty.
Having no care of their souls.
Not providing them means of instruction in religion.
Not admonishing them when they commit sins.
Not allowing them time and opportunity for prayer, and
the worship of God.
Charity.
Want of bowels and charity to our neighbours.
Not heartily desiring their good, spiritual or temporal.
Not loving and forgiving enemies.
Taking actual revenges upon them.
Falseness, professing kindness and acting none
Not labouring to do all the good we can to the soul of our
neighbour.
Not assisting him to our power in his bodily distresses.
Not defending his good name, when we know him slan-
dered.
Denying him any neighbourly office to preserve or advance
his estate.
Not defending him from oppression, when we have power.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 305
Not relieving him in his poverty.
Not giving liberally or cheerfully.
Going to Law.
Not loving peace.
Going to law upon slight occasions.
Bearing inward enmity to those we sue.
Not labouring to make peace among others.
TTie use of this Catalogue of Sins is this : Upon days
of Humiliation, especially before the Sacrament, read
ihein consideringly over, and at every particular ask
thine own heart, Am I guilty of this ? £nd whatsoever
by such Examination thoufndest thyself faulty in, con-
fess particularly and humbly to God, with all the height-
ening circumstances, which rnay any way increase their
guilts, and make serious resolutions against every such
sin for the future ; after which thou may est use this
Form following :
O Lord, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to
thee, for my iniquities are increased over my head, and my
trespass is grown up even unto heaven. I have wrought all
these great provocations, and that in the most provoking
manner ; they have not been only single, but repeated acts
of sin : for, O Lord, of all this black catalogue which I have
now brought forth before thee, how few are there which
I have not often committed ? Nay, which are not become
even habitual and customary to me ? And to this frequency,
I have added both a greediness and obstinacy in sinning,
turning into my course as the horse rusheth into the battle,
doing evil with both hands, earnestly, yea, hating to be re-
formed, and casting thy words behind me, quenching thy
Spirit within me, which testified against me, to turn me
from my evil ways ; and frustrating all those outward means,
whether of judgment or mercy, which thou hast used to
draw me to thyself. Nay, O Lord, even my repentances
may be numbered amongst my greatest sins : they have some-
times been feigned and hypocritical, always so slight and
ineffectual, that they have brought forth no fruit in amend-
ment of life ; but I have still returned with the dog to the
vomit, and the sow to the mire again, and have added the
breach of resolutions and vows to all my former guilts.
26*
306 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Thus, 0 Lord, I am become out of measure sinful, and since
I have thus chosen death, I am most worthy to take part in
it, even in the second death, the lake of fire and brimstone.
This, this, O Lord, is in justice to be the portion of my cup;
to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face eter-
nally. But to thee, O Lord God, belongeth mercy and for-
giveness, though I have rebelled against thee ; O remember
not my sins and offences, but according to thy mercy think
thou upon me, O Lord, for thy goodness. Thou sentest thy
Son to seek and to save that which was lost; behold, O Lord,
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost : O seek thy ser-
vant, and bring me back to the Shepherd and Bishop of my
soul. Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detes-
tation of all my abominations, that true contrition of heart
which thou hast promised not to despise. And then be thou
pleased to look on me, to take away all iniquity, and receive
me graciously ; and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss,
be reconciled to me, who have done nothing well ; wash away
the guilt of my sins in his blood, and subdue the power of
them by his grace : and grant, O Lord, that I may, from this
hour, bid a final adieu to all ungodliness and worldly lust,
that I may never once more cast a look towards Sodom, or
long after the flesh-pots of Egypt ; but consecrate myself
entirely to thee, to serve thee in righteousness and true holi-
ness, reckoning myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive
unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Sa-
viour.
THIS PENITENTIAL PSALM
MAY ALSO FITLY BE USED.
Psalm li.
Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness
according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine
offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me
from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before
me.
Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy
sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear
when thou art judged.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 307
Behold I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my
mother conceived me.
But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts, and shalt
make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean,
thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy
holy Spirit from me.
O Give me the comfort of thy help again, and establish me
with thy free spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners
shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art
the God of my health, and my tongue shall sing of thy right-
eousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall
show forth thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee :
but thou delightest not in burnt-offering.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit ; a broken and
contrite heart, 0 God, shalt thou not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the
walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of right-
eousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations ; then shall
they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world
without end. Amen.
PRAYERS
Before the receiving of the Blessed Sacrament.
O MOST merciful God, who hast in thy great goodness
prepared this spiritual feast for sick and famished souls, make
my desires and gasping after it, answerable to my needs of
308 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
it. I have, with the prodigal, wasted that portion of grace
thou bestowedst upon me; and therefore do infinitely want a
supply out of this treasury : But, O Lord, how shall such a
wretch as I dare to approach this holy table ? I am a dog,
how shall I presume to take the children's bread ? or how
shall this spiritual manna, this food of angels, be given to one
who hath chosen to feed on husks with swine ? Nay, to one
Avho hath already so often trampled these precious things
under foot, either carelessly neglecting or unworthily receiv-
ing these holy mysteries ? O Lord, my horrible guiltiness
makes me tremble t® come, and yet makes me not dare to
keep away ; for where, O Lord, shall my polluted soul be
washed, if not in this fountain which thou hast opened for
sin and for uncleanness ? Hither therefore I come, and thou
hast promised that him that cometh to thee, thou wilt in no
wise cast out. This is, O Lord, the blood of the New Testa-
ment ; grant me so to receive it, that it may be to me for
remission of sins ; and though I have so often and so wretch-
edly broken my part of that Covenant, whereof this sacra-
ment is a seal, yet be thou graciously pleased to make good
thine ; to be merciful to my unrighteousness, and to remember
my sins and my iniquities no more : and not only so, but to
put thy laws into my heart, and to write them in my mind,
and by the power of thy grace dispose my soul to such a
sincere and constant obedience, that I may never again pro-
voke thee. Lord, grant that in these holy mysteries I may
not only commemorate, but effectually receive my blessed
Saviour, and all the benefits of his passion : and to that
end give me such a preparation of soul as may qualify me
for it ; give me a deep sense of my sins and unworthiness,
that, being weary and heavy laden, I may be capable of his
refreshings, and by being supplied in my own tears, I may
be the fitter to be washed in his blood ; raise up my dull
and earthly mind from grovelling here below, and inspire
it with a holy zeal, that I may with spiritual affection approach
this spiritual feast; and let, O Lord, that infinite love of Christ
in dying for so wretched a sinner, inflame my frozen be-
numbed soul, and kindle in me that sacred fire of love to
him, and that so vehement that no waters may quench, no
floods drown it, such as may burn up all my dross, not leave
one unmortified lust in my soul, and such as may also ex-
tend itself to all whom thou hast given me command and ex-
ample to love, even enemies as well as friends. Finally, O
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 309
Lord, I beseech ihee to clothe me in the wedding garment,
and make me, though of myself a most unworthy, yet by thy
mercy an acceptable guest at this holy table ; that I may not
eat or drink my own condemnation, but may have my par-
don sealed, my weakness repaired, my corruptions subdued,
and my soul so inseparably united to thee, that no tempta-
tions may ever be able to dissolve the union, but that being
begun here in grace, it may be consummated in glory.
Grant this, O Lord, for thy dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ.
Another.
O BLESSED Jesus, who once offered up thyself for me upon
the cross, and now offerest thyself to me in the sacrament,
let not, I beseech thee, my impenitence and unworthiness
frustrate these so inestimable mercies to me, but qualify me
by thy grace to receive the full benefit of them. O Lord, I
have abundant need of thee, but am so clogged with guilt, so
holden with the cords of my sins, that I am not able to move
towards thee. O loose me from this band wherewith Satan
and my own lusts have bound me, and draw me that I may
run after thee. O Lord, thou seest daily how eagerly I pur-
sue the paths that lead to death ; but when thou invitest me
to life and glory, I turn my back and forsake my own mercy.
How often hath this feast been prepared, and I have with
frivolous excuses absented myself; or if I have come, it hath
been rather to defy than to adore thee. I have brought such
troops of thy professed enemies, unrepented sins, along with
me, as if I came not to commemorate, but renew thy passion,
crucifying thee afresh, and putting thee to open shame. And
now of what punishment shall I be thought worthy, who have
thus trampled under foot the Son of God, and counted the
blood of the, covenant an unholy thing? Yet, O merciful
Jesu, this blood is my only refuge : O let this make my
atonement, or I perish eternally. Wherefore didst thou shed
it, but to save sinners ? Neither can the merit of it be over-
whelmed either by the greatness or number of sins. I am
a sinner, a great one, O let me find its saving efficacy. Be
merciful unto me O God, be merciful to me, for my soul
trusteth in thee, and in the clefts of thy wounds shall be my
refuge, until thy Father's indignations be overpast. O thou
who hast as my High Priest sa:crificed for me, intercede for
me also, and plead thy meritorious sufferings on my behalf,
and suffer not, O my Redeemer, the price of thy blood to be
310 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Utterly lost : and grant, O Lord, that as the sins I have to be
forgiven are many, so I may love much. Lord, thou seest
what faint, what cold affections I have towards thee : O
warm and enliven them ; and as in this sacrament that trans-
cendent love of thine in dying for me is shed forth, so I be-
seech thee let it convey such grace into me, as may enable
me to make some returns of love. O let this divine fire de-
scend from heaven into my soul, and let my sins be the burnt-
offering for it to consume, that there may not any corrupt
affection, any cursed thing, be sheltered in my heart ; that I
may never again defile that place which thou hast chosen
for thy temple, Thou diedst, 0 dear Jesu, to redeem me
from all iniquity, O let me not again sell myself to work
wickedness. But grant that I may approach thee at this
time with most sincere and fixed resolutions of an entire re-
formation, and let me receive such grace and strength from
thee, as may enable me faithfully to perform them. Lord,
there are many old habituated diseases my soul groans under.
\_Here mention thy most prevailing corruptions.'] And
though I lie never so long at the pool of Bethesda, come never
so often to thy table, yet unless thou be pleased to put forth
thy healing virtue, they will still remain uncured. O thou
blessed Physician of souls, heal me, and grant that I may
now so touch thee, that every one of these loathsome issues
may immediately stanch ; that these sicknesses may not be
unto death, but unto the glory of thy mercy in pardoning,
to the glory of thy grace in purifying so polluted a wretch.
O Christ, hear me and grant I may nov/ approach thee with
such humility and contrition, love and devotion, that thou
mayest vouchsafe to come unto me, and abide with me, com-
municating to me thyself, and all the merits of thy passion.
And then, O Lord, let no accusations of Satap, or my own
conscience, amaze or distract me ; but, having peace with
thee, let me also have peace in myself, that this wine may
make glad, this bread of life may strengthen my heart, and
enable me cheerfully to run the way of thy commandments.
Grant this, merciful Saviour, for thine own bowels and com-
passion's sake,
EJACULATIONS
To he used at the Lord's Supper.
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under
my roof.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 311
I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver
of men ?
[_Here recollect some of thy greatest sins.~\
If thou. Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark vi^hat is done
amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ?
But with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous
redemption.
Behold, O Lord, thy beloved Son, in whom thou art well
pleased.
Hearken to the cry of his blood, which speaketh better
things than that of Abel.
By his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion,
good Lord, deliver me.
O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world,
grant me thy peace.
O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on me.
Immediately before Receiving.
Thou hast said, that he that eateth thy flesh and drinketh
thy blood, hath eternal life.
Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to
thy word.
At the receiving of the Bread.
By thy crucified body deliver me from this body of death.
At the Receiving of the Cup.
O LET this blood of thine purge my conscience from dead
works to serve the living God.
Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.
0 touch me, and say, I will, be thou clean
After Receiving.
What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he
hath done unto me ?
1 will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name
of the Lord.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory,
and blessing.
312 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Therefore blessing, honour, glory, and power, be to him
that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and
ever. Amen.
I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed to keep thy
righteous judgments.
0 hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps
slip not.
A THANKSGIVING
After the Receiving of the Sacrament.
O THOU Fountain of all goodness, from whom every good
and perfect gift cometh, and to whom all honour and glory
should be returned, I desire, with all the most fervent and
inflamed affections of a grateful heart, to bless and praise
thee for those inestimable mercies thou hast vouchsafed me.
Lord, what is man that thou shouldst so regard him, as to
send thy beloved Son to suffer such bitter things for him ?
But, Lord, what am I, the worst of men, that I should have
any part in this atonement, who have so often despised him
and his sufferings ? O the height and depth of this mercy
of thine, that art pleased to admit me to the renewing of that
covenant with thee, which I have so often and so perversely
broken ! that I, who am not worthy of that daily bread
which sustains the body, should be made partaker of this
bread of life, which nourisheth the soul, and that the God
of all purity should vouchsafe to unite himself to so polluted
a wretch ! O my God, suffer me no more, I beseech thee,
to turn thy grace into wantonness, to make thy mercy an
occasion of security, but let this unspeakable love of thine con-
strain me to obedience, that since my blessed Lord hath died
for me, I may no longer live unto myself, but to him. O
Lord, I know there is no concord between Christ and Be-
lial ; therefore since he hath now been pleased to enter my
heart, O let me never permit any lust to chase him thence,
but let him that hath so dearly bought me, still keep posses-
sion of me, and let nothing ever take me out of his hand.
To this end be thou graciously pleased to watch over me,
and defend me from all assaults of my spiritual enemies ; but
especially deliver me from myself, from the treachery of my
own heart, which is too willing to yield itself a prey. And
where thou seest I am either by nature or custom most weak,
there do thou, I beseech thee, magnify thy power in my
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 313
preservation. [_Here mention thy most dangerous tempta-
tions']. And, Lord, let my Saviour's sufferings for my sins,
and the vows I have now made against them, never depart
from my mind ; but let the remembrance of the one enable
me to perform the other, that I may never make truce with
those lusts which nailed his hands, pierced his side, and
made his soul heavy to the death : but that having now anew
listed myself under his banner, I may fight manfully, and
follow the Captain of my salvation, even through a sea of
blood. Lord, lift up my hands that hang down, and my fee-
ble knees, that I faint not in this warfare. O be thou my
strength, who am not able of myself to struggle with the
slightest temptations. How often have I turned by back in
the day of batde ! How many of these sacramental vows
have I violated ! And, Lord, I have still the same uncon-
stant deceitful heart to betray me to the breach of this. O
thou who art Yea and Amen, in whom there is no shadow
of change, communicate to me, I beseech thee, such a stabi-
lity of mind, that I may no more thus start aside like a
broken bow, but that, having my heart whole with thee, I
may continue steadfast in thy covenant, that not one good
purpose which thy Spirit hath raised in me this day may
vanish, as so many have formerly done, but that they may
bring forth fruit unto life eternal. Grant this, O merciful
Father, through the merits and mediation of my crucified
Saviour.
A PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
To be used either before or after the Receiving of the
Sacrament.
O MOST gracious Lord, who so tenderly lovedst mankind
as to give thy dear Son out of thy bosom to be a propitia-
tion for the sins of the whole world, grant that the effect of
this redemption may be as universal as the design of it, that
it may be to the salvation of all. O let no person by impe-
nitence and wilful sin forfeit his part in it, but by the power
of thy grace bring all, even the most obstinate sinners, to
repentance. Enlighten all that sit in darkness, all Jews,
Turks, Infidels, and Heretics ; take from them all blindness,
hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word, and so fetch
them home, blessed Lord, unto thy fold, that they may be
saved among the number of the true Israelites. And for all
27
314 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
those upon whom the name of thy Son is called, grant, O
Lord, that their conversations may be such as becometh the
gospel of Christ ; that his name be no longer blasphemed
among the heathens through us. O blessed Lord, how long
shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the world, a
sink of all those abominable pollutions which even barbarians
detest ? O let not our profession and our practice be always
at so wide a distance. Let not the disciples of the holy and
immaculate Jesus be of all others the most profane and im-
pure. Let not the subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all
others the most contentious and bloody ; but make us Chris-
tians in deed as well as in name, that we may walk worthy
of that holy vocation wherewith we are called, and may all
with one mind and one mouth glorify thee, the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Have mercy on this languishing
Church, look down from heaven the habitation of thy holi-
ness and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal and thy strength,
the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards us ? are
they restrained ? Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither
remember iniquity for ever ; but though our backslidings are
many, and we have grievously rebelled, yet according to all
thy goodness, let thy anger and thy fury be turned away, and
cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary which is deso-
late, for the Lord's sake ; and so separate between us and
our sins, that they may no longer separate between us and
our God. Save and defend all Christian kings, princes and
governors, especially those to whom we owe subjection ;
plead thou their cause, O Lord, against those that strive with
them, and fight thou against those that fight against them :
and so guide and assist them in the discharge of that office
whereunto thou hast appointed them, that under them we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and ho-
nesty. Bless them that wait at thine altar, open thou their
lips that their mouth may show forth thy praise. O let not
the lights of the world be put under bushels, but place them
in their candlesticks, that they may give light to all that are
in the house. Let not Jeroboam's priests profane thy ser-
vice, but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee.
And, O thou Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, suc-
cour and relieve all that are in affliction ; deliver the outcast
and poor, help them to right that suffer wrong, let the sor-
rowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee, and, accord-
ing to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 315
appointed to die : grant ease to those that are in pain, sup-
plies, to those that suffer want; give to all presumptuous sin-
ners a sense of their sins, and to all despairing, a sight of
thy mercies ; and do thou, O Lord, for every one abundantly
above what they can ask or think. Forgive my enemies,
persecutors, and slanderers, and turn their hearts. Pour
down thy blessings on all my friends and benefactors, all
who have commended themselves to my prayers. \_Here
thou may est name particular persons']. And grant, O mer-
ciful Father, that through this blood of the cross, we may all
be presented pure and unblamable, and unreprovable in
thy sight ; that so we may be admitted unto that place of
purity where no unclean thing can enter, there to sing eter-
nal praises to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for ever.
^ Prayer in time of common Persecution.
O BLESSED Saviour, who hast made the cross the bridge
of thy disciples, enable me, I beseech thee, willingly and cheer-
fully to embrace it : thou seest, O Lord, I am fallen into days
wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey ; O
make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments,
when my obedience to thee requireth it, that what falls as a
prey to man, may by thee be accepted as a sacrifice to God.
Lord, preserve me so by thy grace, that I never suffer as an
evil-doer ; and then, O Lord, if it be my lot to suffer as a Chris-
tian, let me not be ashamed, but rejoice that I am counted
worthy to suffer for thy name. O thou who for my sake en-
durest the cross, and despisest the shame, let the example of
that love .and patience prevail against all the tremblings of my
corrupt heart, that no terrors may ever be able to shake my
constancy, but that how long soever thou shalt permit the
rod of the wicked to lie on my back, I may never put my hand
unto wickedness. Lord, thou knowest whereof I am made,
thou rememberest that I am but flesh ; and flesh, O Lord, shrinks
at the approach of any thing grievous. It is thy Spirit, thy
Spirit alone, that can uphold : 0 establish me with thy
free Spirit, that I be not weary and faint in my mind. And
by how much the greater thou discernest my weakness, so
much the more do thou show forth thy power in me ; and
make me, O Lord, in all temptations steadfastly to look to
thee, the author and finisher of my faith, that so I may run
the race which is set before me, and resist even unto blood,
striving against sin. O dear Jesus, hear me, and though
316 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
Satan desire to have me, that he may winnow me as wheat, yet
do thou, O blessed Mediator, pray for me, that my faith fail
not, but that, though it be tried with fire, it may be found
unto praise, and glory, and honour, at thy appearing. And,
O Lord, I beseech thee, grant that I may preserve not only
constancy towards God, but charity also towards men, even
those whom thou shalt permit to be the instruments of my
sufferings. Lord, let me not fail to imitate that admirable
meekness of thine, in loving and praying for my greatest
persecutors ; and do thou, O Lord, overcome all their evil
with thy infinite goodness, turn their hearts, and draw thiem
powerfully to thyself, and at last receive both me and mine
enemies into those mansions of peace and rest where thou
reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God for
ever.
A Prayer in time of affliction.
O JUST and Holy Lord, who with rebukes dost chasten
man for sin, I desire unfeignedly to humble myself under thy
mighty hand, which now lies heavy upon me. I heartily
acknowledge, O Lord, that all I do, all I can suffer, is but
the due reward of my deeds, and therefore in thy severest
inflictions I must still say. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and
upright are thy judgments. But, O Lord I beseech thee,
in judgment remember mercy, and though my sins have en-
forced thee to strike, yet consider my weakness, and let not
thy stripes be more heavy or more lasting than thou seest
profitable for my soul ; correct me, but with the chastisement
of a father, not with the wounds of an enemy ; and though
thou take not off thy rod, yet take away thine anger. Lord,
do not abhor my soul, nor cast thy servant away in displea-
sure, but pardon my sins, I beseech thee ; and if yet in thy
fatherly wisdom thou see fit to prolong thy corrections, thy
blessed will be done. I cast myself, O Lord, at thy feet, do
with me what thou pleasest. Try me as silver is tried, so
thou bring me out purified. And, Lord, make even my flesh
also to subscribe to this resignation, that there may be nothing
in me that may rebel against thy hand ; but that, having per-
fectly suppressed all repining thoughts, I may cheerfully drink
of this cup. And how bitter soever thou shalt please to make
it, Lord, let it prove medicinal, and cure all the diseases of
my soul, that it may bring forth in me the peaceable fruit of
righteousness. That so these light afflictions which are but
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 317
for a moment, may work for me a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, through Jesus Christ.
A Thanksgiving for Deliverance.
O BLESSED Lord, who art gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil, I
thankfully acknowledge before thee, that thou hast not dealt
with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to my
iniquities. My rebellions, O Lord, deserve to be scourged
with scorpions, and thou hast corrected them only with a gentle
and fatherly rod ; neither hast thou suffered me to lie long
under that, but hast given me a timely and a gracious issue
out of my late distresses. O Lord, I will be glad and rejoice
in thy mercy, for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast
known my soul in adversity. Thou hast smitten, and thou
hast healed me. O let these various methods of thine have
their proper effects upon my soul, that I who have felt the
smart of thy chastisements, may stand in awe and not sin ;
and that I who have likewise felt the sweet refreshings of
thy mercy, may have my heart ravished with it, and knit to
thee in the firmest bands of love ; and that by both I may be
preserved in a constant entire obedience to thee all my days ;
through Jesus Christ.
Directions for the Time of Sickness.
When thou findest thyself visited with sickness, thou art
immediately to remember that it is God which with rebukes
doth chasten man for sin. And therefore let thy first care
be, to find out what it is that provokes him to smite thee ;
and to that purpose examine thine own heart, search diligently
what guilts lie there, confess them humbly and penitently to
God, and for the greater security renew thy repentance for
all the old sins of thy former life, beg most earnestly and
importunately his mercy and pardon in Christ Jesus, and put
on sincere and zealous resolutions of forsaking every evil
way for the rest of that time which God shall spare thee.
And that thy own heart deceive thee not in this so weighty
a business, it will be wisdom to send for some godly divine,
not only to assist thee with his prayers, but with his counsel
also. And to that purpose open thy heart so freely to him
that he maybe able to judge whether thy repentance be such
as may give thee confidence to appear before God's dreadful
tribunal, and that if it be not, he may help thee what he can
27*
318 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
towards the making it so. And when thou hast thus pro-
vided for thy better part, thy soul, then consider thy body
also, and as the wise man saith, Ecclus. xxxviii. 12, "Give
place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him." Use
such means as may be most likely to recover thy health, but
always remember that the success of them must come from
God ; and beware of Asa's sin, who sought to the physicians,
and not to the Lord, 2 Chron. vi. 12. Dispose also betimes
of thy temporal affairs, by making thy will, and setting all
things in such order as thou meanest finally to leave them in,
and defer it not till thy sickness grow more violent ; for then
perhaps thou shalt not have such use of thy reason as may
fit thee for it ; or if thou have, it will be then much more
seasonable to employ thy thoughts on higher things, on. the
world thou art going to, rather than that thou art about to
leave ; we cannot carry the things of this world with us when
we go hence, and it is not fit we should carry the thoughts
of them. Therefore let those be early dispatched, that they
may not disturb thee at last.
A Prayer for a Sick Person.
O MERCIFUL and righteous Lord, the God of health and
of sickness, of life and of death, I most unfeignedly acknow-
ledge that my great abuse of those many days of strength
and welfare, which thou hast afforded me, hath most justly
deserved thy present visitation. I desire, O Lord, humbly
to accept of this punishment of mine iniquity, and to bear
the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against
him. And, O thou merciful Father, who designest not the
ruin, but the amendment, of those whom thou scourgest, I
beseech thee by thy grace so to sanctify this correction of
thine to me, that this sickness of my body may be a means
of health to my soul ; make me diligent to search my heart,
and do thou, O Lord, enable me to discover every accursed
thing, how closely soever concealed there, that by the re-
moval thereof, I may make way for the removal of this pu-
nishment. Heal my soul, O Lord, which hath sinned against
thee ; and then, if it be thy blessed will, heal my body also;
restore the voice of joy and health unto my dwelling, that I
may live to praise thee, and to bring forth fruits of repentance.
But if in thy wisdom thou hast otherwise disposed, if thou
hast determined that this sickness shall be unto death, I be-
seech thee to fit and prepare me for it : give me that sincere
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 319
and earnest repentance, to which thou hast promised mercy
and pardon ; wean my heart from the world, and all its fad-
ing vanities, and make me to gasp and pant after those more
excellent and durable joys, which are at thy right hand for
ever. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon
me, and in all the pains of my body, in all the agonies of
my spirit, let thy comforts refresh my soul, and enable me
patiently to wait till my change come. And grant, O liord,
that when my earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, I
may have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens ; and that for his sake, who by his
precious blood hath purchased it for me, even Jesus Christ.
Ji Thanksgiving for Recovery.
O GRACIOUS Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, in
whose hand my time is, I praise and magnify thee, that thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption,
and restored me to health again ; it is thou alone, O Lord, that
hast preserved my life from destruction, thou hast chastened
and corrected me, but thou hast not given me over unto death
0 let this life which thou hast thus graciously spared, be
wholly consecrated to thee. Behold, O Lord, I am by thy
mercy made whole, O make me strictly careful to sin no
more, lest a worse thing come unto me. Lord, let not this
reprieve thou hast now given me, make me secure, as think-
ing that my Lord delayeth his coming ; but grant me, I be-
seech thee, to make a right use of this long suffering of thine,
and so to employ every minute of that time thou shalt allow
me, that when thou shalt appear, I may have confidence, and
not be ashamed before thee at thy coming. Lord, I have
found by this approach towards death, how dreadful a thing
it is to be taken unprepared ; O let it be a perpetual admo-
nition to me to watch for my Master's coming. And when
the pleasures of sin shall present themselves to entice me, O
make me to remember how bitter they will be at the last.
0 Lord, hear me, and as thou hast in much mercy afforded
me time, so grant me also grace to work out my own salva-
tion, to provide oil in^my lamp, that when the Bridegroom
Cometh, I may go in with him to the marriage. Grant this,
1 beseech thee, for thy dear Son's sake.
A Prayer at the approach of Death.
O ETERNAL and ever-living God, who first breathedst into
320 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
man the breath of life, and when thou takest away that breath
he dies and is turned again to his dust ; look with compas-
sion on me thy poor creature who am now drawing near the
gates of death, and, which is infinitely more terrible, the bar
of judgment. Lord, my own heart condemns me, and thou
art infinitely greater than my heart, and knowest all things.
The sins I know and remember, fill me with horror ; but
there are also multitudes of others, which I either observed
not at that time, or have since carelessly forgot, which are all
present to thee. Thou settest my misdeeds before thee, and
my secret sins in the light of thy countenance ; and to what
a mountainous heap must the minutely provocations of so
many years arise ? how long shall one so ungodly stand in
thy judgment, or such a sinner in the congregation of the
righteous ? And to add yet more to my terror, my very
repentance, I fear, will not abide the trial ; my frequent re-
lapses heretofore, have sufficiently witnessed the unsincerity
of my past resolutions. And then, O Lord, what can secure
me that my present dislikes of my sins are not rather the
eftects of my amazing danger than of any real change ? And,
O Lord, I know thou art not mocked, nor wilt accept of any
thing that is not perfectly sincere. O Lord, when I consider
this, fearfulness and trembling come upon me ; and an horri-
ble dread overwhelmeth me ; my flesh trembleth for fear of
thee, and my heart is wounded within me. But, O Lord,
one deep calleth upon another, the depth of my misery upon
the depth of thy mercy : Lord, save now, or I perish eternally.
O thou that wiliest not that any should perish, but that all
would come to repentance, bring me, I beseech thee, though
thus late, to a sincere repentance, such as thou wilt accept,
who triest the heart. Create in me, O God, a clean heart,
and renew a right spirit within me. Lord, one day is with
thee as a thousand years ; O let thy mighty Spirit work in
me now in this my last day, whatsoever thou seest wanting
to fit me for thy mercy and acceptation. Give me a perfect
and entire hatred of my sins, and enable me to present thee
with that sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, which thou
hast promised not to despise ; that by this I may be made
capable of that atonement which thy dear Son hath by the
more excellent oblation of himself made for all repenting
sinners. He is the propitiation for our sins, he was wounded
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the
chastisement of our peace was on him ; O heal me by his
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 32*^
Stripes, and let the cry of his blood drown the clamour of
my sins, I am indeed a child of wrath, but he is the Son of
thy love ; for his sake spare me, O Lord, spare thy creature,
whom he hath redeemed with his most precious blood, and
be not angry with me for ever. In his wounds, O Lord, I
take sanctuary, O let not thy vengeance pursue me to this
city of refuge : my soul hangeth upon him, O let me not perish
with a Jesus, with a Saviour, in my arms. But by his agony
and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, by all that he
did and suifered for sinners, good Lord, deliver me ; deliver
me, I beseech thee, from the wages of my sins, thy wrath
and everlasting damnation, in this time of my tribulation, in
the hour of death, and in the day of judgment. Hear me,
O Lord, hear me, and do not now repay my former neglects
of thy calls, by refusing to answer me in this time of my
greatest need. Lord, there is but a step between me and
death, O let not my sun go down upon thy wrath, but seal
my pardon before I go hence and be no more seen. Thy
loving-kindness is better than life itself, O let me have that
in exchange, and I shall most gladly lay down this mortal
life. Lord, thou knowest all my desire, and my groaning is
not hid from thee ; deal thou with me, O Lord, according to
thy name, for sweet is thy mercy ; take away the sting of
death, the guilt of my sins, and then though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; I will
lay me down in peace, and Lord, when I awake up, let me
be satisfied with thy presence in thy glory. Grant this,
merciful God, for his sake who is both the Redeemer and
Mediator of sinners, even Jesus Christ.
PSALMS.
Put me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger, neither
chasten me in thy heavy displeasure.
There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure,
neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sins.
For my wickednesses are gone over my head, and are a
sore burden too heavy for me to bear.
My wounds stink and are corrupt through my foolish-
ness.
Therefore is my spirit vexed ^vithin me, and my heart
within me is desolate.
My sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able
322 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
to look up : yea, they are more in number that the hairs of
my head, and my heart hath failed me.
But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy,
long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.
Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me, for I am
desolate and in misery.
If thou, Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark what is done
amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ?
O remember not the sins and offences of my youth, but
according to thy mercy think thou upon me for thy good-
ness.
Look upon my adversity and misery, and forgive me all
my sin.
Hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble, O
haste thee and hear me.
Out of the deep do I call unto thee. Lord, hear my voice.
Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul, O save me for
thy mercies' sake.
0 go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand, and there
is none to help.
1 stretch forth my hands unto thee, my soul gaspeth unto
thee, as a thirsty land.
Draw nigh unto my soul and save it ; O deliver me, be-
cause of my enemies.
For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh
unto hell.
Save me from the lion's mouth, hear me from among the
horns of the unicorns.
O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I, for thou
art my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
Why art thou so heavy, O my soul, and why art thou so
disquieted within me ?
Put thy trust in God, for I will yet give him thanks for
the help of his countenance.
The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness towards
me, yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever, despise not
then the work of thine own hands.
O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee.
My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee
in a barren and dry land, where no water is.
Like as the hart desireth the water-brook, so longeth my
soul after thee, O God.
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 323
My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God, when
shall I come to appear before the presence of God ?
How amiable are thy dwellings, O Lord of Hosts ?
My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts
of the Lord ; my flesh and my heart rejoice th in the living
God.
O that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I fly away
and be at rest.
0 send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me,
and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.
For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
1 had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
I should utterly have fainted, but that I believed verily to
see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living.
Thou art my helper and my redeemer, O Lord, make no
long tarrying.
EJACULATIONS.
O Lord, of whom may I seek for succour but of thee ?
who for my sins art justly displeased ? Yet, O Lord God
most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful
Saviour, deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of my heart, shut not
up thy merciful eyes to my prayer, but hear me, O Lord
most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Sa-
viour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer me not at my
last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee.
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and
am not worthy to be called thy child ; yet,' O Lord, do not
thou cast off* the bowels and compassions of a Father ; but
even as a Father pitieth his own children, so be thou merci-
ful unto me.
Lord, the prince of this world cometh, O let him have
nothing in me, but as he accuseth, do thou absolve ; he lays
many and grievous things to my charge, which he can too
well prove ; I have nothing to say for myself, do thou an-
swer for me, O Lord my God.
O ' Lord, I am clothed with filthy garments, and Satan
stands at my right hand to resist me ; O be thou pleased to
rebuke him, and pluck me as a brand out of the fire ; cause
324 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
mine iniquities to pass from me, and clothe me with the
righteousness of thy Son.
Behold, O God, the devil is coming towards me, having
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time, O save and deliver me, lest he devour my soul like a
lion, and tear it in pieces while there is none to help.
O ray God, I know that no unclean thing can enter into
thy kingdom, and I am nothing but pollution, my very right-
eousness are as filthy rags. O wash me and make me white
in the blood of the Lamb, that so I may be fit to stand before
thy throne.
Lord, the snares of death compass me round about, O let
not the pains of hell also take hold upon me, but though I
find trouble and heaviness, yet, O Lord, I beseech thee de-
liver my soul.
O dear Jesus, who hast bought me with the precious price
of thine own blood ; challenge now thy purchase, and let
not the malice of hell pluck me out of thy hand.
O blessed High Priest, who art able to save them to the
utmost who come unto God by thee, save me, I beseech
thee, who have no hope, but on thy merits and intercession.
O God, I confess I have defaced that image of thine thou
didst imprint upon my soul ; yet, O thou faithful Creator,
have pity on thy creature.
O Jesu, I have by my many and grievous sins crucified
thee afresh, yet thou who prayedst for thy persecutors, in-
tercede for me also, and suffer not, O my Redeemer, my soul
(the price of thy blood) to perish.
O Spirit of grace, I have by my horrid impieties done
despite to thee ; yet, O blessed Comforter, though I have
often grieved thee, be thou pleased to succour and relieve me,
and say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord, in thee is my trust, O
cast not out my soul.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded.
O BLESSED Lord, who scourgest every son whom thou
receivest, let me not be weary of thy correction, but give
me such a perfect subjection to thee the Father of spirits,
that this chastisement may be for my profit, that I may there-
by be partaker of thy holiness.
O thou Captain of my salvation, who wert made perfect
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 325
by sufTerings, sanctify to me all the pains of body, all the
terrors of mind, which thou shalt permit to fall upon me.
Lord, my sins have deserved eternal torments, make me
cheerfully and thankfully to bear my present pains, chasten
me as thou pleasest here, that I may not be condemned with
the world.
Lord, the waters are come in even unto my soul. O let
thy Spirit move upon these waters, and make them like the
pool of Bethesda, that they may cure whatsoever spiritual
disease thou discernest in me.
O Christ, who first sufTeredst many and grievous things,
and then enteredst into glory, make me so lo suffer with
thee, that I may also be glorified with thee.
0 dear Jesus, who humbledst thyself to the death of the
cross for me, let that death of thine sweeten the bitterness
of mine.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou
didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
1 believe that thou shalt come to be my Judge.
I pray thee, therefore, help thy servant whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood.
Make me to be numbered with thy saints in glory ever-
lasting.
Thou art the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in
thee, though he were dead, yet shall he live : Lord, I believe,
help thou my unbelief.
My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of
my heart, and my portion for ever.
I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is
far better : Lord, I groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed
upon with that house from heaven.
I desire to put off this my tabernacle. O be pleased to
receive me into everlasting habitations.
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto
thy name.
Lord, I am here to wrestle, not only with flesh and blood,
but with principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness.
0 take me from the tents of Kedar, into the heavenly Jeru-
Balem, where Satan shall be utterly trodden under my feet.
I cannot here attend one minute to thy service without
distraction, O take me up to stand before thy throne, where
1 shall serve thee day and night.
I am here in heaviness through many tribulations, O
28
326 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
receive me into that place of rest, where all tears shall be
wiped from my eyes, where there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain.
I am here in the state of banishment and absence from the
Lord, O take me where I shall for ever behold thy face, and
follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness.
O BLESSED Jesu, who hath loved me, and washed me from
my sins in thine own blood, receive my soul.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast re-
deemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. Come Lord Jesu,
come quickly.
PRAYERS
FOR THEIR USE WHO MOURN IN SECRET FOR THE PUBLIC
CALAMITIES, &C.
PsALM Ixxiv. O God, wherefore art thou absent from us
so long? why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of
thy pasture ? Slc.
PsA.LM Ixxix. O God, the heathen are come into thine in-
heritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made
Jerusalem an heap of stones, &lc.
Psalm Ixxx. Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel ; thou that
leadest Joseph like a sheep : show thyself also, thou that
sittest upon the Cherubims, &c.
t^ Prayer to be used in these times of Calamity.
O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth, I desire hum-
bly to confess before thee, both on my own behalf, and that of
this nation, that these many years of calamity we have groaned
under, are but the just, (yea, mild) returns of those many
more years of our provocations against thee, and that thy
present wrath is but the due punishment of thy abused mercy.
O Lord, thou hast formerly abounded to us in blessings above
all the people of the earth. Thy candle shined upon our
heads, and we delighted ourselves in thy great goodness.
Peace was within our walls, and plenteousness within our
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 327
palaees ; there was no decay, no leading into captivity, and
no complaining in our streets : but we turned this grace into
wantonness, we abused our peace to security, our plenty to
riot and luxury, and made those good things which should
have endeared our hearts to thee, the occasion of estranging
them from thee. Nay, O Lord, thou gavest us yet more
precious mercies, thou wert pleased thyself to pitch thy
tabernacle with us, to establish a pure and glorious church
among us, and give us thy word to be a lamp unto our feet,
and a light unto our paths : but, O Lord, we have made no
other use of that light than to conduct us to the chambers of
death ; we have dealt proudly and not hearkened to thy com-
mandments, and by rebelling against the light, have purchased
to ourselves so much the heavier portion in the outer dark-
ness. And now, O Lord, had the overflowings of thy vengeance
been answerable to that of our sin, we had long since been
swept away with a swift destruction, and there had been none
of us alive at this day to implore thy mercy. But thou art
a gracious God, slow to anger, and hast proceeded with us
with much patience and long-suffering, thou hast sent thy
judgments to awaken us to repentance, and hast also allowed
us space for it : but alas ! we have perverted this mercy of
thine beyond all the former, we return not to him that smit-
eth us, neither do we seek the Lord ; we are slidden back
by a perpetual backsliding ; no man repenteth him of his
wickedness, or saith, What have I done ? 'Tis true indeed
we fear the rod, (we dread every suffering, so that we are
ready to buy it off with the foulest sin,) but we fear not Him
that hath appointed it, but by a wretched obstinacy harden
our necks against thee, and refuse to return. And now, O
God, what balm is there in Gilead that can cure us, who when
thou wouldst heal us, will not be healed ? We know thou
hast pronounced that there is no peace to the wicked, and
how shall we then pray for peace, that still retain our wicked-
ness ? This, this, O Lord, is our sorest disease ; O give us
medicines to heal this sickness, heal our souls, and then we
know thou canst soon heal our land. Lord, thou hast long
spoken by thy word to our ears, by thy judgments even to
all our senses, but unless thou speak by thy Spirit to our
hearts, all other calls will still be ineffectual. O send out
this voice, and that a mighty voice, such as may awake us out
of this lethargy : Thou that didst call Lazarus out of the grave,
O be pleased to call us who are dead, yea, putrefied in tres-
328 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
passes and sins, and make us to awake to righteousness.
And though, O Lord, our frequent resistances even of those
inward calls, have justly provoked thee to give us up to the
lusts of our own heart ; yet, O thou boundless Ocean of
mercy, who art good not only beyond what we can deserve,
but what we can wish, do not withdraw the influence of thy
grace, and take not thy holy Spirit from us. Thou wert
found of those that sought thee not : O let that act of mercy
be repeated to us who are so desperately, yet so insensibly
sick, that we cannot so much as look after the Physician ;
and by how much our case is the more dangerous, so much
the more sovereign remedies do thou apply. Lord, help us,
and consider not so much our unworthiness of thy aid, as our
irremediable ruin, if we want it ; save. Lord, or we perish
eternally. To this end dispense to us in our temporal in-
terest what thou seest may best secure our spiritual ; if a
greater degree of outward misery will tend to the curing our
inward. Lord, spare not thy rod, but strike yet more sharply.
Cast out this devil, though with never so much foaming and
tearing. But if thou seest that some return of mercy may be
most likely to melt us, O be pleased so far to condescend to
our wretchedness, as to afford us that, and, whether by thy
sharper or thy gentler methods, bring us home to thyself.
And then, O Lord, we know thy hand is not shortened, that
it cannot save : when thou hast delivered us from our sins,
thou canst and wilt deliver us from our troubles. O show
us thy mercy and grant us thy salvation, that, being redeemed
both in our bodies and spirits, we may glorify thee in both,
in a cheerful obedience, and praise the name of our God, that
hath dealt wonderfully with us, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
A Prayer for this Church.
O THOU great God of recompenses, who turnest a fruitful
land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell
therein ; thou hast most justly executed that fatal sentence on
this Church, which having once been the perfection of beauty,
the joy of the whole earth, is now become a scorn and deri-
sion to all that are round about her. O Lord, what could
have been done to thy vineyard that thou hast not done in it?
And since it hath brought forth nothing but wild grapes, it is
perfectly just with thee to take away the hedge thereof, and
let it be eaten up. But, O Lord, though our iniquities testify
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 329
against us, yet do thou it for thy name's sake ; for our back-
slidings are many, we have sinned against thee. O the Hope
of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldst
thou be a stranger in the land, as a wayfaring man that turn-
eth aside to tarry for a night ? Why shouldst thou be as a
man astonied ? as a mighty man that cannot save ? Yet
thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by
thy name, leave us not; deprive us of what outward enjoy-
ment thou pleasest, take from us the opportunities of our
luxury, and it may be a mercy ; but 0 take not from us the
means of our reformation, for that is the most direful expres-
sion of thy wrath. And though we have hated the light,
because our deeds were evil, yet, O Lord, do not, by with-
drawing it, condemn us to walk on still in darkness, but let
it continue to shine till it have guided our feet into the way
of peace. O Lord, arise, stir up thy strength and come and
help, and deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove [^tliis dis-
consolate Churcli] unto the multitude of the enemy, but help
her, O God, and that right early. But if, O Lord, our rebel-
lions have so provoked thee, that the ark must wander in
the wilderness till all this murmuring generation be con-
sumed, yet let not that perish with us, but bring it at last
into a Canaan, and let our more innocent posterity see that
ivhich in thy just judgment thou deniest to us. In the
mean time let us not cease to bewail that desolation our sins
have wrought, to think upon the stones of Sion, and pity to
see her in the dust, nor ever be ashamed or afraid to own
her in her lowest and most persecuted condition, but esteem
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt, and so approve our constancy to this our afflicted
mother, that her blessed Lord and head may own us with
mercy when we shall come in the glory of thee his Father
with the holy angels. Grant this, merciful Lord, for the
same Jesus Christ his sake.
*^ Prayer for the Peace of the Church.
Lord Jesus Christ, which of thine Almightiness madest
all creatures both visible and invisible, which of thy godly
wisdom governest and settest things in most goodly order,
which of thine unspeakable goodness keepest, defendest,
and furtherest all things, which of thy deep mercy restorest
the decayed, renewest the fallen, raisest the dead ; vouch
safe, we pray thee, at last to cast down thy countenance upon
28*
330 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
thy well beloved spouse, the church, but let it be that amiable
and merciful countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things
in heaven, in earth, and whatsoever is above heaven and
under the earth : vouchsafe to cast upon us those tender and
pitiful eyes with which thou didst once behold Peter that
great shepherd of thy church, and forthwith he remem-
bered himself and repented ; with which eyes thou once didst
view the scattered multitude, and wert moved with compas-
sion, that for lack of a good shepherd they wandered as
sheep dispersed and strayed asunder. Thou seest, O good
Shepherd, Avhat sundry sorts of wolves have broken into
thy sheepcotes ; so that if it were possible the very per-
fect persons should be brought into error ; thou seest with
what winds, with what waves, with what storms, thy silly
ship is tossed, thy ship wherein thy little flock is in peril
to be drowned. And what is now left but that it utterly
sink, and we all perish ? Of this tempest and storm we
may thank our own wickedness and sinful living, we dis-
cern it well and confess it ; we discern thy righteousness,
and we bewail our unrighteousness : but we appeal to thy
mercy, which surmounteth all thy works ; we have now
suffered much punishment, being scourged with so many
wars, consumed with such losses of goods, shaken with so
many floods, and yet appears there no where any haven or
port unto us : being thus tired and forlorn among so strange
evils, but still every day more grievous punishments and
more seem to hang over our heads, we complain not of thy
sharpness, most tender Saviour, but we discern here also thy
mercy, forasmuch as much grievouser plagues we have de-
served. But, O most merciful Jesus, we beseech thee that
thou wilt not consider nor weigh what is due for our deserv-
ings, but rather what becometh thy mercy, without which
neither the angels in Heaven can stand sure before thee,
much less we silly vessels of clay. Have mercy on us, O
Redeemer, which art easy to be entreated, not that we be
worthy of thy mercy, but give thou this glory unto thine own
Name. Suffer not those which either have not known thee,
or do envy thy glory, continually to triumph over us, and
say, where is their God, where is their Redeemer, where is
their Saviour, where is their Bridegroom, that they thus
boast on ? These opprobrious words redound unto thee,
O Lord, while by our evils men weigh and esteem thy
goodness ; they think we be forsaken, whom they see not
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. ^|
amended. Once when thou sleptst in the ship, and a tempest
suddenly arising threatened death to all in the ship, thou
awokest at the outcry of a few disciples, and straightway at
thine Almighty word the waters couched, the winds fell, the
storm was suddenly turned into a great calm ; the dumb
waters knew their Maker's voice. Now in this far greater
tempest, wherein not a few men's bodies be in danger, but
innumerable souls, we beseech thee at the cry of thy holy
Church, which is in danger of drowning, that thou wilt awake.
So many thousands of men do cry, Lord save us, we perish:
the tempest is past man's power; it is thy Avord that must
do the deed : Lord Jesu, only say thou with a word of thy
mouth. Cease, O tempest, and forthwith shall the desired
calm appear. Thou wouldst have spared so many thousands
of most wicked men, if in the city of Sodom had been found but
ten good men. Now here be so many thousands of men which
love the glory of thy Name, which sigh for the beauty of thy
house, and wilt thou not at these men's prayers let go thine
anger, and remember thine accustomed and old mercies ?
Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policy turn our folly into
thy glory ? Shalt thou not turn wicked men's evils into thy
Church's good ? For thy mercy is wont then most of all
to succour, when the thing is with us past remedy, and neither
the might nor wisdom of men can help it. Thou alone
bringest things that be never so out of order into order again,
which art the only author and maintainer of peace. Thou
framedst that old confusion wherein without order, without
fashion, confusedly lay the discordant seeds of things, and
with a wonderful order the things of that nature fought to-
gether, thou didst allay and knit in a perpetual band. But
how much greater confusion is this where is no charity, no
fidelity, no bonds of love, no reverence neither of laws nor
yet of rulers, no agreement of opinions, but, as it were in a
misordered choir, every man singeth a contrary note !
Among the Heavenly planets is no dissension, the elements
keep their place, every one do the office whereunto they be
appointed : And wilt thou sutler thy spouse, for whose
sake all things were made thus by continual discords to perish ?
Shall thou suffer the wicked spirits, which be authors
and workers of discord, to bear such a swing in thy king-
dom unchecked ? Shalt thou suffer the strong captain of
mischief, whom thou once overthrewest, again to invade
thy tents, and to spoil thy soldiers ? When thou wert here
332 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS.
a man conversant among men, at thy voice fled the devils.
Send forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Spirit, which may
drive away out of the breasts of all them that profess thy
Name, the wicked spirits, masters of riot, of covetousness, of
vain-glory, of carnal lust, of mischief and discord. Create in
us, O our God and king, a clean heart, and renew thy holy
Spirit in our breasts, pluck not from us thy holy Ghost.
Render unto us the joy of thy saving health, and with thy
principal Spirit strengthen thy spouse and the herdmen
thereof By this spirit thou reconcilest the earthly to the
heavenly : by this thou didst frame and reduce so many
tongues, so many nations, so many sundry sorts of men into
one body of a church, which body by the same spirit is knit
to thee their Head. This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to
renew in all men's hearts, then shall all these foreign mise-
ries cease, or if they cease not, they shall turn to the profit and
avail of them which love thee. Stay this confusion, set in
order this horrible chaos, O Lord Jesus, let thy Spirit stretch
out itself upon these waters of evil wavering opinions. And
because thy Spirit, which, according to thy prophet's say-
ing, containeth all things, hath also the science of speaking ;
make, that like as unto all them which be of thy house is
one light, one baptism, one God, one hope, one Spirit, so
they may also have one voice, one note, one song, profess-
ing one catholic truth. When thou didst mount up to H(sa-
ven triumphantly, thou threwest out from above thy precious
things, thou gavest gifts amongst men, thou dealtest sundry
rewards of thy Spirit. Renew again from above thy old
bountifulness ; give that thing to thy Church, now fainting
and growing downward, that thou gavest unto her shooting
up at her first beginning. Give unto Princes and Rulers the
grace so to stand in awe of thee, that they so may guide the
commonweal, as they should shordy render account unto
thee that art the King of kings. Give wisdom to be always
assistant unto them, that whatsoever is best to be done, they
may espie it in their minds, and pursue the same in their do-
ings. Give to the bishops the gift of prophecy, that they
may declare and interpret holy Scripture, not of their own
brain, but of thine inspiring. Give them the threefold
Charity which thou once demandedst of Peter, what time thou
didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep. Give to the
priests the love of soberness and of chastity. Give to thy
people a good will to follow thy commandments, and a readi-r
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 333
ness to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them.
So shall it come to pass, if through thy gift thy princes shall
command that thou requirest, if thy pastors and herdmen
shall teach the same, and thy people obey them both, that
the old dignity and tranquillity of the Church shall return
ao-ain with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name.
Thou sparedst the Ninevites appointed to be destroyed, as
soon as they converted to repentance ; and wilt thou despise
thy house fallen down at thy feet which instead of sackcloth,
hath sighs, and instead of ashes, tears ? Thou promisest
forgiveness to such as turn unto thee, but this self thing is
thy gift, a man to turn with his whole heart unto thee, to
the intent all our goodness should redound unto thy glory.
Thou art the Maker, repair the work that thou hast fash-
ioned. Thou art the Redeemer, save that thou hast bought.
Thou art the Saviour, suffer not them to perish which do
hang on thee. Thou art the Lord and owner, challenge thy
possession. Thou art the head, help thy members. Thou
art the King, give us a reverence of thy laws. Thou art
the Prince of Peace, breathe upon us brotherly love. Thou
art the God, have pity on thy humble beseechers, be thou
according to Paul's saying, all things in all men, to the intent
the whole choir of thy Church with agreeing minds and con-
stant voices for mercy obtained at thy hands, may give
thanks to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : which after
the most perfect example of concord be distinguished in
property of persons and one in nature : to whom be praise
and glory eternally. Amen
THE END.
INDEX
Adultery, 174
Alms-giving, 255, 256, 257
Ambition, 133
Anger, 127
Apparel, 159
Baptism, 71, 216; its vow, 72
Bargaining, 149, 184
Blasphemy, 95
Blessing of Parents, 219
Borrowing, 179
Brawling, 199
Brethren, 223
Calamities, 193
Cares, 146
Catechizing, 68
Censoriousness, 241
Charity, 86, 237, 255, 263, 267
Chastity, 138
Children, their Duties, 211, 215
Christ, 41 ; his sufferings 89 ; his
love, 90
Christian Duties possible and plea-
sant, 269
Church, 62, 66
Commands, 40, 61
Confession, 83, 88, 102
Consideration, 129—132
Contentedness, 132
Contrition, 82
Corrections, 59
Courteousness, 198
Covenant, xxvi ; New, 91
Covetousness, 133, 161, 178
Credit, 189, 263 ; lost, 194
Cruelties, 172
Cursing, 95, 199
Debts, paying, 179
Deceit, 182
Despair, 43
Detraction. 201
Devotion, 86
Diligence, 136, 235
Drinking, 144
Drunkenness, 144 ; excuses for it,
145
Duties to those in want, 202
to Relations, 204, 223
to all Ranks and Qualities,
200, 202
Duty to God, 38 — 56 ; to ourselves,
119; to magistrates, 206; to pa-
rents, 206,211,215; to pastors,
87, 208 ; to children, 216 ; to hus-
band, 226 ; to wife, 228
Duty of Servants, 233; of Masters,
235
Eating, 142
Education of Children, 217
Enemies, 242, 267
Envy, 134, 200
Example, 221
Faith, 39, 83
False reports, 189, 194
False witness, 190
Fasting, 116
Fear, 49
Feasts and Fasts, 66
Fidelity, 234
Forgiving, 248
Fraud, 186
Friendship, 231
Gaming, 158
God, 39, 66, 95, 102
Goods of Nature, 122; of Fortune,
123 ; of Grace, 123; of Neighbour,
177
Graces, 85, 87
Gratitude, 204
Guide in Spirituals, 87
Heahh, 142
Honour of God, 62, 95
Hope, 42
Humiliation, 81
Humility, 57, 119
Husband, 228
Idolatry, 118
Improving of Talents, 136
Inconsideration, the danger of, 136
Industry, 136
Infirmities, 193, 225
Injuries, 172
Injustice, 186
Justice (see Neighbour)
Kindness of God, 44
Kindred, 204
King, 206
Law-suits, 266
Light of Nature, 37 ; of Scripture, 38
335
336
INDEX.
Lord's Day, 65
Lord's Supper, 55, 77
Love of God, 44
Love to God, fruits of, 46
Love to Brethren, 223
Lying, 196
Magistrates, 206
Maiming, 171
Malice, 177
Marriage, 214, 264
Masters, 235
Meekness, 127, 198
Minister, 87, 208
Murder, 167
Murmuring, 132
Nature, 136
Neighbours, 162, 174, 177, 189, 195,
237
Oaths, 95—102
Obedience, 84, 207, 210, 213
Offences against God and man, the
difference, 245
Oppression, 178
Parents, 206, 211, 215
Patience, 58
Peace-making, 265
Perjury, 97
Petitions, 103
Poor, 203, 255
Prayer, 101—112
Preachers, 208, 210
Preaching, 69
Presumption, 43
Pride, 119, 172, 198
Promises, 40
Recreation, 156
Relations, 204, 223
Repentance, 112
Reports, false, 189
Reproach, 147
Resolution, 84
Restitution, 188
Sacraments, 71, 77 — 94
Sacrilege, 64
Scoffing, 192
Scriptures, 38, 67
Servants, 233
Sins, 78, 85, 104
Slanders, 190
Sleep, 156
Sloth, mischief of, 157
Sobriety, 112
Soul, vide Preface
Sports, 158
Stealing, 181
Swearing, 95, 199
Temperance, 142 — 156
Thankfulness, 59
Thanksgiving, 105
Theft, 179, 181
Threatenings, 40
Trust, deceived, 183
Truth, 196
Uncleanness, 139
Vain-glory, 124
Wants of parents to be supplied,
214
Watchfulness, 101
Whisperings, 191
Wife, 174, 226
Witness, false, 196
Word of God, 67
Works, 58
Worship, 102
Printed by King and Baird, No. 9 George St.
am
003 6160
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